Blood Bound
by Hybrid Illusions
Summary: A harrowing escape. A trail of clues leading to nowhere. A new band of mind-controlled villains; once innocent adolescents. Can the Titans stop a newer, more sinister Brother Blood’s plans from taking over the Earth?
1. Break the Silence

**Chapter One: Break the Silence**

The Northern Steel City penitentiary was one of the most complex and sophisticated of incarceration structures in the region. Its tall, menacing walls, guarded by computers and humans alike, rivaled medieval castles in the fact that it was wrapped by not one but two thick, steel and cement walls. As the guards stalked the catwalks with guns hoisted on their shoulders; cameras hidden away like rats watched their prisoner's with secretive, unblinking eyes. The electronic wires that coiled around the tops of the walls and chain-link fences sparked occasionally, like thorny, curled serpents, spikes glinting evilly in the chill winter light. In the courtyard that was the entrance, once behind the first wall, more guards lined their posts along the pathway on the ground, seemingly made of stone but their heads would turn occasionally if one really stared.

It looked like a scene straight out of world war two. If a prisoner were to climb over the first wall; there was a deadly no-mans-land he would have to sprint across, laden with blank gravel, covering hidden landmines and traps. The thick walls were lined with permanently stationed gun turrets where one had to just sit in the attached, revolving chair and fire off laser rounds until his target was obliterated. It was the same treachery if and after the second wall was breached for an escapee. Very few had ever made it; and most of them did not break away from their confines without a scar or two to show it. A successful breakout here was more rare than a tortured soul wandering out of the fiery chasms of the Underworld.

Deep inside the actual prison the first floor, the only floor on the surface, was designed for the guards and the police only; living quarters, locker rooms, offices, eating facilities, sanitary facilities, and weapon rooms. On the second floor, deep below, things became much more oppressing, with dark halls and thick titanium cell doors, as monotonous and confusing a labyrinth as a hornet's nest. Here guards, just like worker bees, stomped back and forth, waiting for their chance to pounce. There were multiple security rooms; where many screens were monitored by even more guards. The air was stale and old; and rumors spread that it contained a neutralizing gas. The guards were, after all, wearing black and blue suits of 'armor' and faceless helmets.

The first basement level was for prisoner's who needed only sturdy cells and no real specialization to prevent a break out. The second level down, on the other hand, held individuals that required "different types" of confinements. Here was where the worst criminals of Steel City were kept, not just the same bloodthirsty sociopaths, predators or muscle heads contained upstairs. These were the masterminds, whose knowledge of their particular genre of crimes and interferences with the law, whose names were shunned from being said above, were put and hardly, if ever, let out. These very in-animated halls were as hushed as the lips of the dead, a ghostly silence invading the airspace, caused from the containment of any shrieks or insane cries behind those cement curtains. One could only imagine the sort of devious freaks and demonic minds that lay hidden behind those solid locked doors. The ones in these cells were only let out for their human needs, and when the occasion happened they were either drugged or guided out at gunpoint in cuffs.

In cell number 18 sat a man that looked to be about in his late forties; except that now he was only half a man. The left portion of his upper skull had been replaced with a cybernetic one; and the visible tech underneath the reflective transparent covering had once glowed a subtle crimson. His left eye was protected by a patch of metal extension from the skull prosthetics, leaving a leering slit for him to see out of that was now dimly radiating a calm red. Extending down the left side of his jawbone was a clasp that was fitted to the shape of his face and secured under his chin. His shoulders were replaced with the same gear as the convex skull component, acting as round armor. His arms had been re-attached after being blown off by another mechanical fighter, the very Teen Titan Cyborg, the one who thwarted his pernicious plans. The transparent gear served as his wrists and all the way up to his elbows, with 3 spikes protruding from the sides for effect. His hands were made of solid metal, with all correct joints that allowed his fingers and thumbs to move perfectly, and his unfeeling fingertips were slightly sharp. His electronic arms and head device had not been deactivated; but programmed so that he could only do normal tasks, rather sluggishly. All of his additional strength had been disengaged. It was, despite himself, a terrible feeling, the feeling of sheer weakness and vulnerability. But he still had his cunning; and this was what kept him sane in the darkness with which he fought. The saying was very common: In prison, one has a lot of time to plot, which was precisely what he was doing.

He sat in the dim light brooding over things, eyes closed calmly, almost as if he were meditating with his arms resting on his legs, for he was slightly hunched over. It had been almost 2 years since he had been locked in this hell; and the whole time he had schemed escape. None of his plans seemed fully plausible yet; but each one was becoming more possible as he turned it over in his mind. He did not know the entire map of the prison, and if he did manage to escape the most difficult thing would be avoiding getting lost and cornered. Without his digitally given vigor; he was much more easy to beat. Every time he thought of this a wave of anger would flicker through his body and create a feeling of disgust and hatred that condensed in the center of his being. His hate fueled him more than the mediocre food the workers gave him; more than their mindless prattling trying to browbeat and mock him. He suddenly smiled slightly as he realized it was only a matter of time before he escaped; and then they would receive their retribution as compensation for their cocky bullheadedness. No one hindered Brother Blood.

His cubicle was blank except for a few stereotypical cell items one would find. It was all about intimidation, the shadows cast across the walls and chill in the air, the dank atmosphere that was almost like living in the eternal stomach of Limbo. He heard very little from the outside, only the guards as they marched by, the occasional cry, scream or yell of anger and that sort. He had only seen a few halls and the entrances when he was taken in, such passages and images most prisoners would rather forget than remember. Not him, his memory was photographic and he vividly recalled the two outer walls, the gun turrets, and the upstairs. It was getting past all the guards without being seen that was his problem. He was beginning to doubt his agility with his dysfunctional arms. He clenched his robotic talon for a hand into a fist, looking at the artificial knuckles, ornately designed. It was such a strange feeling when he first left Professor Chang's lair with his new robotic replacements, having no feeling in his arms, but he had grown tolerant of it more quickly than others, such had been his lust for victory. They had failed him, these arms. They would need a great deal of upgrades; once he got out...

He snapped back to reality when a loud shout erupted from his hall, the first resilient sound that had reached his ears since coming here. He edged closer to the door on his bench, not wanting to draw attention to himself, those bastards in the security room where hawking his every move. His movements were so fluid that it looked only as if he had shifted a little on the bench to get comfortable. He kept his head bowed and listened intently; his heart beating just a hint faster. At first the voices were muffled and he could only make out an altercation of sorts, or maybe a struggle.

Outside, at the corner perpendicular to the hallway cell number 18 was located in, five of the featureless armored guards, with slim metal poles that had a wicked looking forks at the end generating electric sparks, were trying to get a hold on a figure that lashed out and kicked whenever they came near. They were slowly wriggling and rolling across the tiled gray floor, their hands restrained behind their back.

"Get in closer, try and tranquilize 'em!" One of the guards yelled hoarsely. He clutched his leg where the captive had kicked him savagely. For some unearthly reason the guards could not get close, every time they stepped within five feet they could not move any further, as if encountering an invisible wall. Upon hearing their orders the four other guards stepped in and one of them shouted, extending an open hand for effect:

"This is your last chance! _Freeze_!"

His warning fell on seemingly deaf ears as the figure labored on, rolling and shoving forward, trying to stand up. The guard that had spoken thrust his stun pole at them, but it glanced off of seemingly thin air and blue sparks exploded in a shower from where the impact had occurred, lighting up the air with a cool colored tinge.

"What in the…" Another guard breathed in exasperation. They tried several times to strike the person with the tips of their poles, but each stab bounced off some sort of force field. They could only chase them down the hall and trap them, but they were risking it. The captive used the wall as they crawled forward to stand up and lean against; their reflexes were greatly disoriented. The guards once again surrounded the figure and they all stabbed at once, as a unit, and penetrated the shield only slightly. The circumference of the domed sphere lit up for just a moment around the person as they tried to regenerate it. There was a flicker of deep blue light, and as the protective layer dissipated, one of the guards lunged and tried to tackle them. In that moment, the writhing captive regenerated the shield, but the two colliding forces of the energy field and the diving guard caused it to blanch off in the opposite direction. The impact struck a cell door and it swung wide open, the captive crashing into the cell almost as if thrown in, right at Brother Blood's feet. He stood up, surprised, and his head snapped to his left as something slammed the door back shut. He then looked down at the scene in front of him with great surprise.

The figure was on their knees, their head touching the floor from the fall almost as if bowing, wrapped from head to toe in nothing but tattered white bandages: what could be the shreds of a straight jacket, as there were a few straps here and there that had been broken and hung by a thread or two from scuffing against the floor and walls. Long blue-black hair spilled onto the floor, curling at the ends almost like rivers of ink. They looked up at him and their face was concealed behind more wrappings and a very morbid mask, a series of thick black straps that came down from a wide band across their forehead to their chin, making a 'T', and another horizontal strap across their mouth. It was some sort of restraint, and as he looked closer one of the ends of the bar across the forehead (it was hard to see at first because they had bangs) had loosened and hung off slightly, and the most peculiar thing about it, he noted, was a trickle of blood running down from their left temple. It appeared that the mask somehow connected to their brain and part of it was ripped off. He was about to speak when a series of odd things happened:

First, there suddenly appeared a blue bauble in a corner of the door where the tiny camera was hidden, entrapping it. How did they know where it was when he himself could not find it? Second, they opened their eyes, which were a crystalline glacial-blue color, and fixed into his. A voice came from inside his head, a mere whisper:

"_Please help me…"_

He scowled lightly out of bewilderment, emphasizing his look by raising his chin a little, and said aloud in a bored manner: "Now why would I risk my neck? And just how are you communicating to me that way?"

_"I'll help you get out, just release me. I'm using telepathy; but I can't last much longer. The camera has been blocked, no one can hear or see us."_ They nodded to the blinded camera. They sounded like they were in much pain and strife.

Brother Blood clenched one of his clawed hands into a fist of metal. "Really? And what else will you do for me?" He hissed. If he was going to risk it; he better get something exceptionally good out of the deal.

The bound person paused, and looked at his artificial arms and head.

"_Your tech is not working right. I know someone who can fix you; someone who has access to a sufficient source of Xinthium. I offer this restitution. But we are pissing away valuable time right now. Please, unbind me." _

Brother Blood kneeled and examined the handcuffs. Unlike the old fashioned cuffs with the chain links that allowed some comfortableness for the hands, these were just a bar that expanded to allow the hands and wrists to fit in them then retracted back in automatically. There was a faint stain of crimson where the edges of the holes rubbed against their wrists. He looked at the slot where a slip of some sort was used as a key; and ran one of his sharp index fingers in the slit. There came a noise of a few gears and contraptions springing and breaking inside, and with a little click and hum the cuffs expanded. He pulled the obstruction off of their wrists and the captive examined their hands briefly before trying feebly to stand up.

"_I will blow this door out and stun the guards. Then I'll guide you through the next two floors. I might need your help once we reach the surface, there will be many of them coming at us by that time." _The figure murmured in his mind, a genderless tone; the texture of their telepathic thoughts like ripples across glassy water.

"Fine." Was all he grunted, folding his arms and watching intently. The figure stood by the door, the frantic pounding and swears of the guards outside the only noise. The bandaged person held their hands out in front of them and closed their eyes; so stiff they looked like a living mummy. Suddenly their long glossy hair began to sway as if in a breeze, the strands and threads that were torn or loosened flapping wildly on their wrappings. A blue aura flickered in front of them, as if cobalt static had replaced all the oxygen in that area, and condensed so that it became thicker and more luminous. The energy from it played with Brother blood's red cloak and kicked up a very thin dust. Suddenly, the escapee thrust their hands forward in a very fluid motion, taking a half step forward as if pushing some great weight, and the energy field crashed into the door, blowing it (and the unlucky guards behind it) across the hall and into the opposing wall with a loud bang. Brother Blood raised an eyebrow in interest; but soon found himself running at the masked person's side as they ran down the hall.

They traveled through the vast underground floor, putting the puzzle together with clips from each other's memory. When they rounded their 6th corner they encountered more guards, two this time, and it was assured from the pounding echoes of boots on the floor that more were close behind. Brother Blood gazed at the guards, and suddenly he smiled slightly, a smug expression etching across his hybridized face. He had itched to do this for what it seemed an eternity; all those sneers and shoves they had directed towards him when he was allowed out every few days had built up inside into a stairway of loathing despite his set-in-stone sobriety. He would not yield now that he had tasted freedom. As they charged at him, he jumped into the air and somersaulted over them with catlike grace, and landed directly behind them so that their backs were almost touching. They had stopped, and before they could turn around to stab at him or shoot him he struck them in the backs of their heads with his elbows, knocking them forward and crushing the backs of their helmets. The one guard moaned and fell over, unconscious or dead, he did not care, and the other wobbled and tried to regain their sense of balance. Brother Blood spun around, and using that acquired force from the spin, kicked the remaining guard in the middle back and sent him flying into the wall. The guards lay splayed and twisted on the floor. A familiar aptitude had returned to him like a lost lover.

"That felt sensational." He chuckled sinisterly, stretching and cracking his neck. The bandaged person looked at him, eyes widened just a little in amazement.

"_We have to run; there are more behind us that can't be stopped with kicks and shields." _They said quickly, and went on. Brother Blood picked up one of the staffs on the floor, twirled it smartly so it hummed and blurred like a fan to dust off the mantle of his skills, and followed. They reached the stairway in a matter of seconds and got to the top without any problems. A guard clashed with them at the hall exit, probably ordered to protect the staircase, and Brother Blood took him out easily with a skull splitting clout from his newfound weapon. The escapee eased past the fallen guard, and Blood thought he saw them shudder. Since when did guilty criminals cringe at the sight of injury? He began to doubt his 'partner's' nerve. Never the less, they, whoever they were, had gotten him this far without 'shattering their backbone'.

They zipped past halls that he did not recall ever seeing, but soon they found the second stairs and reached the top. Blood's eyes gazed at his first glimpse of sunlight through a window far in front of him. To their left and right guards were closing in, and they bolted straight on. Bursting through double doors, they were about to reach the first huge wall and already gunshots were being fired from above, flinging up dust and chunks of stone wherever the lasers hit. Blood kept the guards on the ground at bay, stunning a few and knocking aside others as the second fugitive catapulted energy fields at the gun turrets with agonizingly strained throws, bursting the tips of the guns so they sat useless. Now agents pouring out of the facility and those above on the walls were firing at them, and Blood watched as the shots pelted off of the shield surrounding them like rain. Each reflected shot caused a booming zap to ring in their ears.

The escapee in wrappings was dragging their feet forward, barely moving from fatigue. If they kept this up, their shield would disappear and they would be killed. Blood glared, red eye glinting with a trickle of sweat snaking down the right side of his face, and suddenly shot towards the figure, scooped them up in his arms (they were surprisingly light) and carried them like an injured child as he bolted ahead. Using his cybernetic claws he clambered up the wall, leaving devilish scratch marks that would puzzle authorities later on, and leaped over the side with his newfound rag-doll partner hanging limply over his shoulders. They were still awake, holding onto him, but limply. He ran across the catwalk and looked at the ground in front of him, suspiciously blank. No doubt he would step on a decoy and explode.

"_My shield will protect you, just run for it."_ They assured him tiredly. Blood's will to escape, and not his common sense, propelled him off the side of the wall, and he gasped as he landed under the added weight. After recovering, he zigzagged his way across the field. About halfway to the second wall he heard an all-too obvious beep as he activated a landmine. The noise from the explosion was thunderous and fire erupted all around him like demon's breath, unsettling pieces of gravel as all the force struck the shield, but it held up. He had never been so thankful for anything in his life.

He reached the second wall and climbed much slower than before, beginning to get tired as his adrenaline burned its last in his veins (both human and electronic) and cold fear creeping up on him despite his warrior's spirit. Shots still biting at the force field urged him on, and he pulled himself over the top of the second wall. He gazed out before him at the field below, a copy of the one he had just fled from, and groaned in aggravation. This was the final test: beyond a chain-link fence far away was deliverance.

Sucking in a breath and holding onto the practically limp figure, not even sure if the shield was still in tact, he shimmied down, using one of his powerful arms to cling onto the side, sparks emitting like fireworks, and landed just as a swarm of armed agents arrived where he had stood. They ran to their guns and aimed at his heart. Blood's feet pounded against the gravel, now running straight ahead and gaining speed, giving it his everything.

Both of their irises shrank, enveloped by the whites of their eyes, as not one but two beeps rang out. A loud explosion burst behind them, the force sending him flying forward but giving him additional speed, and the other explosion enveloped the shield to his grim surprise and once again flames blinded his vision. The shield repelled the searing inferno and bullets from the gunfire; and a thick cloud of black smoke covered his path behind him. Brother Blood glanced back, slowing down, and then with a last heaving effort flung himself and his protection over the fence. The shield degenerated as his partner's will gave way at last and in that instant the barbed wire across the top of the fence bit into his chest, pulling as if the metal thorns were actually clinging to him, and then releasing his flesh with a tearing noise. He landed harshly on his side and rolled a couple of times, his partner flung from his arms and not moving a few feet away.

Back at the prison, a captain stumbled out of the mess of running troopers and removed his helmet, his brown hair plastered against his forehead from sweating. With his helmet in the nook of one arm he phoned his boss, staring into the smoke with glossy eyes. He took a deep breath and said:

"They got away. Blood and the other we were bringing in for questioning; both escaped." He stared unfeeling into the distance…

Brother Blood arose to his feet after a few precious seconds of recovery were taken. He breathed heavily, shoulders rising up and down somewhat, and looked back, but all he could see was the smoke spreading from where the land mines had been set off. Far back he heard the shouts of the guards coming after them, probably using the drawbridge platforms to get across which could expand from one wall to the other. A brisk wind blew in from the West and ruffled his clothes, and he inhaled it with exultance. He was free again; a rare feeling both evil and good could relate to. Picking up his unconscious and weathered ally, he dashed off into the winter mists towards the city, leaving no footprints as fresh snow began to fall.


	2. Just One More Peaceful Day

Chapter Two: Just One More Peaceful Day...

Cold, windy and white was that Sunday. The surface world of every expanse in Jump City, from the streets and sidewalks wrapping around tall buildings to the very frozen banks that once washed against Titan's Tower; was covered in wintry silence. A good foot of snow had fallen that night, coating everything in powdery crystal. It was early in the morning and a brass sun, as brilliant as an emperor's medallion, rose high only to be snuffed out by thick, rolling gray clouds. Icicles, as long as a full grown human and almost as wide, hung down in rows along the horizontal undersides on the top of Titan's Tower, rock hard ice spears, dripping down the sides incessantly like stalactites. It was this constant dripping that awakened Starfire; who was curious as to what the strange noise was. This was the worst winter, or she would call it the best because she didn't have to shovel a driveway or parking space (unlike the millions of other citizens), since she had been on earth. It was a brand new January and they had celebrated a fun, bright New Years.

She flew outside after dressing quickly, having dropped out from her window a little clumsily (it _was_ early, after all, and heart-piercingly frigid), and passed over the roof. How she especially remembered sitting up there on the edge, ah yes right there! Next to the helicopter landing space, that was where she and Robin had talked late into the night, gazing at the moon and discussing everything from the effects of sparkling cider combined with cookies in Beast Boy's hyper-active nervous system to future plans for the Titans and the city. She remembered him moving closer to her, taking her warm hand in his…but that was all. She blinked out of her fond memory, closing her brilliant emerald eyes for just a moment, the little furrow of her brow appearing for a moment between petite triangular alien eyebrows; then opened them. She flew out in front of their home; gazing at the teeth-like icicles that had formed under the edges of the roof. Even in the grip of winter, the Tower was imposing and assuring. She saw it as a sign of unity; and smiled slightly at its gold and steel-blue beauty.

"Hey Starfire! C'mon and get some 'jacks while they're hot!" Called Cyborg's rough voice in the wind. She looked; he was peering out of a front window at her, his arms full of stacks of pancakes that blew a cloud of hot, delicious smelling steam out the window towards her. She shivered slightly, took one sniff, then flew back in to sit and eat with the rest of them.

They sat around the kitchen table and stuffed themselves on Cyborg's chocolate chip and blueberry pancakes; Beast Boy topping his stack of a dozen pancakes off with a gushing amber river of maple syrup. As far away from him as possible, probably not intentionally now but only by instinct, sat Raven, floating mystically in thin air, indigo cloak hanging down her back and over her pale shoulders, finishing off only a few bites she had taken. Robin was talking to Cyborg, as he and Starfire sat down, about the new video game coming out, another generic 'blow as much stuff up as possible then blow it up again for the hell of it' game. Starfire found these games very uninteresting (most of the time) and excessively violent, and she was about to suggest getting the new 'Adventures of Snowtail and the Bunny Scouts' instead but Cyborg had placed a heaping amount of pancakes on her plate and blocked her view of speaking to them. She started on the blueberry ones and complimented him numerous times on how good they were; tasting like the Zorka-Berry G'nohkals (waffles) her Galfore used to make when she was a child. Cyborg smiled proudly, from Starfire's comments and Beast Boy's guzzling noises as he shoved them down his throat (using two forks to 'row' them in) like a starving Tasmanian devil. Raven took one cool glance at him, raised a brow, then muttered something like "Nice breakfast…" and sauntered off.

She wanted to get her morning meditations in and headed back to her room, her place of peace and sanctuary, walking now, and disappeared around the corner with a wave of her blue cloak. Beast Boy gulped the last of his pancakes down with fresh-squeezed orange juice and took Raven's barely-touched plate. He had been training strangely hard lately; the last bank robbery (compliments of Mumbo's gem-nabbing mischief) only a week ago had been a chore for him when usually one or two Titans were enough for the maniacal magician. Even now as he sat cross-legged on his chair he poked the tiny, just hardly noticeable belly he'd formed. He knew he'd been slacking off ever since Slade was toasted and Brother Blood decapitated and thrown into prison.

"You know BB, if you're so concerned about putting on weight maybe you should stop stuffin' your face with other people's leftovers!" Cyborg exclaimed with a look of disgust on his strained face.

"Hey, you're the one who made so many!" The purple clad, green-skinned changeling snapped back. Even now they were both smiling at each other; but Starfire and Robin felt the comical bitterness in their tones, as only truly good friends could do. Beast Boy then added, with a toothy grin that slid up the sides of his face so that his eyes were squished into lima-bean shapes: "Besides, it would be a shame for all of your _hard work_ to go to _waste_." He rubbed the back of his head innocently; as was a habit of his when he knew he was feeling bashful.

Cyborg rolled his human eye and Robin chuckled a little. Starfire was happily feasting on her pancakes; drowning them in butter, syrup, and…ketchup. She dumped the red liquid on with a look of pure amusement on her jovial face.

"Uh, Starfire, you don't-" Cyborg started but Robin swiped his hand over his friend's mouth and they both just stared in silence. Starfire peeped up over her mountain of flapjacks and smiled.

"Is there something with which I can help to pass?" The Tamaranian princess asked in her somewhat muddled English; holding up the ketchup bottle. Robin smiled gently.

"No, no, we're fine."

"Its cool, Star."

The Boy Wonder and the Mechanical Human waved their hands in unison as they replied and then started to clean off the table, scooping up plates and cups. Beast Boy had finished at last and started to help them as well; transmogrifying into a green spider monkey (with the personalized canine tooth poking up from his bottom lip) and leaping from table, to counter, to sink and back. Even when doing simple tasks they were one.

The lazy day was turning out to be just like any other: hard training, break for lunch, more training if someone thought it was necessary, then relaxing. They had evolved into quite the chain of friends, without any chinks, their loyalties to each other set in stone. Ever since they had first inhabited the tower and claimed it their own; they had stuck together and walked golden paths as well as undertaking storms that would have blown others away. The Titan's were a rare gem; a gift to their world that stood over the city like a watchful elder, who came to pick up the city and mend it like a parent when a child falls and scraps his knees, they fought away everyone's monsters hiding in the closet waiting to come out in the terror of the night. With their care, the people of Jump City could look out bright windows and live without fear. They learned for themselves and from each other with every adventure. As they readied themselves for training; each team member got his or herself ready, switching from their teenage states of mind into a more serious stage.

Raven levitated, cross-legged in the lavender darkness of her room, encased in her own space and time as she explored the depths of her complex mind. Her arms were bent out and index fingers and thumbs touching, meditating and repeating her words that were her creed softly to herself: 'Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos.' Her hood was thrown back and her cloak hung over her shoulders and down her back, giving her the look of a phantom. The statues and murals on her walls and shelves stared out with lifeless eyes, guarding the many thick books and oddities in jars and cases. The entire room was riddled with mysterious objects.

She was the levelheaded one of her group, maintaining the balances that sometimes got out of whack when things became too hyper. Without her strong, calculating will, common sense and her blunt but always reasonable suggestions, she kept order in check. Her sometimes emotionless and sarcastic nature could make the others back off at times, especially when Beast Boy's antics got her fuming (and a little scary), but she was still someone they could relate and talk to. Strangers would think that she was not as just and full of valor as the rest of her teammates from her introvert nature, but her conscience was steadfastly directed down the path of righteousness, whether her pale, relaxed face shrouded by the shadow of a cloak omitted it or not. She was not afraid of many things her friends got chills from; things that lurked in the vast darkness she called a friend. She headed out of her room, her spirit restored and ready.

Cyborg tended to the last of his prosthetics; his battery charged and computerized limbs glowing a healthy electronic blue. He sat on a chair in his room, checking each of his functions in the little screen on his arm. After a few seconds he snapped the covering back over the screen and looked around. His room was full of mechanical gear and digital devices meant for the aid in his mechanics. There was also a bed and a few posters, and some papers cluttered near his super computer. Cyborg was the one with the most responsibility in the group; the stable pillar that provided support for everyone else. He looked out for his friends like a big brother; he took it as his duty. Sure, his temper got in the way of that at times, but his fusion between man and metal could get him irritable in situations (his friends were always delicate about this; and when he was down there was Beast Boy to cheer him up). He was constantly learning how to better control his gifts to sway in his direction. With every new experience on the battlefield, with every given inspiration and with his burning spirit, Cyborg became a stronger, better warrior. He lifted his head, dark skin contrasting against the luminescent blue, white and gray, and stepped into the hall.

Starfire waltzed out of the kitchen and towards the gym, her red hair swaying from side to side as she walked. She went from door to door knocking and asking if anyone needed help (except Raven's room, she had learned not to bother Raven when she was meditating in solitude a long time ago) but her teammates declared that they were okay and she should just head to the gym. Starfire was always trying to help; such was her caring heart. If any of her friends looked like they were having trouble with anything, she was there in a flash to assist them. Good-natured and somewhat naïve, she always kept the Titan's spirits up with her positive outlook on things. She never gave up on anything; even when others labeled things as impossible.

Beast Boy's room was a wreck and a half. It looked as if someone had shoved all of his things into an atomic bomb and set it off, sending the most random of objects in the most random of places. In fact, the Changeling wasn't sure if he had a _floor_ anymore. He stood in front of a mirror, putting on his own little show as he morphed into different animals, a moth, a tiger, a rhino, a gorilla, a chinchilla, a cobra, an eagle, on and on creating a slideshow of earth's creatures. He changed back into his normal form and did different stupid poses, acting like a muscleman in the circus and flexing his muscles in a most comical way, raising his eyebrows and grinning, mocking those buff airheads he saw every so often in the city. He stopped, scratched his green hair making it stand up even more, and kicked aside a comic book with his shoe, looking for something he hadn't seen in a long time (besides his carpet). He stopped and grabbed his chin, eyes looking up into thin air, thinking. Beast Boy was the comic relief of the group; when things looked too grim he always had something to say about it that had no relevance to the situation at all. Even with his class-clown attitude he would always bring a light into the room. His quick morphing powers gave him the ability to distract and fluster enemies, and when he really got his fire going he could do serious damage as bigger, more terrible animals. Beast Boy could cheer just about anyone up, maybe not with his corny jokes but more of his goofy spirit. He was willing to try anything at least once and could follow orders from Robin without questioning.

He transformed into a rat and scuttled underneath his bed, ducking under or crawling over all sorts of junk (including a few things of Cyborg's that he had 'borrowed' and 'lost'). At last he reached what he wanted, turned into a fat green wombat and pulled it out from under his bed with his teeth. He examined a silver heart-shaped box that opened up into a mirror, sitting on his bed and staring into its reflective surface, seeing more than just his green face. He remembered deep blue eyes, long bright hair, and an unforgettable smile. Beast Boy, deep inside his cool-guy outer shell of cockiness and at times a show-off, was sensitive when things could penetrate deep in his heart. He put the box back under his bed and stretched; looking out the window. A few seagulls flew by rather crankily and into the distance, warming up their wings in the sun. He headed out of his room to the gym.

Robin was already in the training room, thinking over what programs they should try today. He sat in front of the control panel browsing over various options. What had they been slacking on lately? He ran his fingers through his midnight hair as he thought about it. The gym was not lit up yet and he sat in almost complete darkness with the exception of a column of light pouring down from above. He ignored the pressing shadows and clicked on a few programs to select them. Over this past year no severely bad criminals had emerged; only a robbery from Mumbo, a disturbance at a park involving Cardiac, and a foiled kidnapping of one of the City officials from Johnny Rancid. Robin still had thoughts of his old nemesis back in his mind, never forgetting that stormy night when he almost killed himself thinking Slade was alive. These thoughts churned like sand in the deep ocean. He had convinced himself that Slade was gone, obliterated from this dimension.

It was Robin's characteristic to turn a single worry over and over again; being the watchful leader of the Titans. He was brave, acrobatic, strong, clever, and equipped with a vast amount of different weapons. Everything the Dark Knight had taught him about fighting crime and making decisions was part of his very being. Robin was whom the team relied on when they did not know where to turn. He was the pathfinder in dark places when all other lights faded. Over the years with the Titans he had grown into a very compassionate and determined leader; loved by all. He had withstood his place well on the front line of the Team.

"Robin…" Came a soft, concerned voice from behind him. He turned to see Starfire standing in the doorway with one hand fiddling with the emerald gem on her collarbone armor, hand holding her elbow. The hall behind her was lit up, and her form was silhouetted against the brightness. "Is something the matter? You are sitting alone in the dark again."

Robin shook his head. "I'm okay, really. Just trying to figure out what we need to work on. We should prepare ourselves better in case…" But then he stopped. A little window flashed on the computer screen, red.

"In case of what?" The Tamaranian asked inquisitively. She walked over to his side, her hands clasped together. Robin turned and looked up at her through the dark eyes of his mask.

"Star, you ever get the feeling that something bad is going to happen, even though there's no real reason?" Robin asked; wondering whether the question was pointless since she was so optimistic, even when fog clouded all of their vision. At times he wished he could not be so grim about things. Starfire looked at him, concerned, and suddenly remembered when he had disappeared and became Red X.

"When you disappeared and became Red X, I can recall myself worrying that you would be hurt, wherever you had gone to. I tried to tell myself that you were strong and would not let yourself be harmed, but something in my head told me you needed help or you would be hurt." She replied gently. Robin nodded; and a feeling of dread struck him as he clicked open the message. The face of Bumble Bee appeared on the large computer monitor, with Aqualad and Speedy in the background. Their faces were all full of distress and the twins Mas and Menos were dashing back and forth in a colorful blur, babbling furiously in Spanish.

"Robin!"

"Bumble Bee? What's wrong?" Robin bid her to speak. She was about to say something, but yells in the background from her team caused her to spin around, flail her arms and yell at the top of her lungs:  
"Will you two shut up already? I'm trying to tell Robin!"

The twins screeched to a stop and were silent in an instant, Mas whispering up to his brother on his shoulders: "_Muy Bien_, estupido! Ella esta verdaderamente enojada con nosotros ahora…" Speedy shushed him and Bumble Bee returned to the screen, eyes glittering.

"Sorry, everything's in an uproar right now. We've just received news that Brother Blood escaped the Northern Steel City Penitentiary this morning with the help of another prisoner." Bumble Bee announced gravely, her face very serious and lips drawn tight.

"He broke out of Helena prison? That place is supposed to be extremely difficult to breach." Robin returned. Starfire spun on her heel as Raven entered the room; soon followed by Beast Boy and Cyborg.

"What's goin' on?" Cyborg asked, looking at Bumble Bee's gaunt face.

"I am afraid that Brother Blood has been illegally liberated from jail." Starfire told him sadly.

The news hit Cyborg almost like someone had physically struck him. He balled his hands into fists and gritted his teeth, furrowing his brow in a fearsome glare. This was a personal toil he thought he would no longer have to deal with, or at least not for a long time. Raven glanced at him at of the corner of her large eyes from the protective folds of her tunic, sensing the contempt in his mind. Bumble Bee's expression frowned with apprehension for him; and Robin turned to face him.

"Oh man…" Beast Boy muttered and looked at the ground and then at Cyborg.

"What? Why are ya'll looking at me like that?" The Android snapped; his glowering becoming fiercer.

"He is your arch foe…" Starfire said quietly.

"Police are looking around but they can't find a single clue." Bumble Bee started again. "We'd like your help trying to locate them."

"_Them_?" Raven interrupted somberly, raising a brow. "Who else has escaped?"

"Another prisoner that aided him. They created some sort of energy field that protected them from gunfire, and, well, if I know Brother Blood, he probably used his exact memory to lead the way out." Bumble Bee said, then added. "Apparently they broke into his cell by accident and the two formed a plan to break out while the guards tried to tear the door down."

"Damn it. Hold on just a minute, Bumble Bee…" Robin cursed as another emergency message appeared. He read an automated news report that Ternion, the abomination forgery between Plasmus, Cinderblock and Overload, had escaped and was tearing apart downtown near the docks. The police weren't making very good progress.

"I'm really sorry, but you're going have to go on without us. Ternion is rampaging downtown…" Robin told her. The other Titans held their breath as Cyborg groaned. Quickly, Robin put in: "We'll help you out as soon as we're finished."

Beast Boy groaned this time and Raven shot him a death glare.

"Okay. I'm out." Bumble Bee said, nodding and barely disguising her disappointment. The screen went blank and Robin stood up.

"Titans, we're heading to the docks to stop Ternion. Lets move." He ordered. The others exited the gym promptly and Robin stopped Cyborg, putting his hand on his friend's convex, blue shoulder.

"You going to be okay?" He asked.

"I'll be fine. I just can't believe he got out. Just when I was beginning to get used to things being normal again…" Cyborg replied slightly dismal. His expression hearkened and he pressed the switch on his arm compartment to summon the T-car. "Let's kick butt."

Robin gave him an assuring smile and dashed ahead, yellow and black cape trailing behind him. Cyborg stood for just a brief second in the dark, with nothing but his blue aura glowing in the blackness.


	3. Crimson Enigma

_(Author's Notes: AGH! I know, three chapters now and still no real battle involving the Titans. I am going to start working on Chapter 4 VERY soon, so if you wait a few days I will update as soon as possible. They will be fighting Ternion. Heh, anyway, enjoy the story! And submit a review if you already haven't please; I would like feedback. 3 )_

**Chapter 3: Crimson Enigma**

The piercing trills of cloud colored seagulls sounded in the ears of the masked fugitive, and were the awakening songs that they were slowly sobered to. When they finally cracked opened their weary eyes; they gazed with rather blurred vision at a miniature fire and the sitting figure of their associate. As their eyesight gradually returned to normal; they looked around at their surroundings. They were sleeping on a hard, cold floor, their head and neck propped against what felt like a mass of soggy seaweed and rock. They were resting in some kind of small groove in a white limestone wall, speckled with grays and onyxes. But they were at a loss as to what their location was until they rolled over on their left side and gazed down about twenty feet; looking at nothing but the deep, dark obsidian waves of the ocean. Above them in the heavens and out further into sea, sure enough seagulls were drifting lazily in the windy updrafts, underneath an azure January sky.

"Good, you're awake at last." Said Brother Blood a tad huffily. He was sitting with his knees drawn to his chest and his metal arms with the side-spikes wrapped around them, gazing out at sea with his slit, cobalt eye and his inhuman red one. His arms were scratched in some places on the surface and his robotic hands with their elaborately detailed joints were quite nicked. They realized, with great awe, that he must have climbed his way down the treacherously sheer cliffs with his bare hands, just as he had done the walls. His breath came out in hissing puffs of mist; vanishing into the air as quickly as they had come. The tiny fire sputtered and spat a display of sparks into a rough breeze that meandered through their cramped hollow, warping the flame so it danced violently.

"_How long have I been unconscious?"_ They asked him mentally; and upon sending that message a river of pain seemed to split their skull in two. They flinched, sitting up abruptly, and gripped their head until the spasm passed. Brother Blood watched this with mild lenience, more over flat-out bored interest to see what was happening to them. He waited; then continued when his associate seemed to relax.

"About 25 hours; judging by the position of the sun." Blood replied, nudging a twig into the fire with the toe of his black shoe. "We are currently hiding out in the white cliffs near the North Eastern Port, about three miles away from the prison."

"_Just three miles? Have you seen any of them looking for us?"_ They transmitted to him, their voice-thoughts rigid with unease. Brother Blood caught their nervous emotions in their telepathy and frowned inwardly at this. His partner was beginning to seem less and less like a criminal worthy of Helena each minute. He put his doubts aside for the moment and returned:

"No, not yet, but the annoying shrieks of these infernal birds and the constant roar of the waves is blocking out any sounds they might pick up, and we are far back into the cliff face, so anybody out at sea cannot spot us unless we stand up. At night I will have to extinguish this fire; and we will likely freeze to death if we don't get moving." He motioned with a nod of his head to the pathetic blaze.

After a period of silence, his patience began to claw inside of his stomach and tear away. He looked at the other fugitive and growled: "So where exactly do you plan to take me to the one who can fix my mechanics?"

"_When night falls, if there is a way from here where I can get to the sewer systems that lie underfoot of Steel City, I can take you to where my friend dwells, the same as I did before I was captured."_ They answered.

"Why were you brought to Helena, anyway? And why are you bandaged and restrained so; if you can answer that as well?" Blood asked as inconspicuously as possible; wanting details to the reason they were so solicitous and demurring.

"_I suppose they were going to interrogate me after they had thrown me into a cell and subdued me, part of the submission process was that they wrap me to keep from moving properly, and masked me so my powers were prohibited. You see, they thought I was guilty of something I didn't mean to do. Because of the situation and my bad reputation, however…"_ They paused, unsure whether to go on, their mood becoming very sensitive. After a moment, they continued, but darkly. _"I didn't stand a chance defending myself. In fact, I didn't even receive a trial they were so sure that I was guilty of murdering that woman-" _Instantly they ceased transmitting these thoughts, having sent too much information. They closed their strange eyes and turned away, cutting off the telepathic line completely.

Brother Blood's expression did not lessen; but inside he felt a spark of excitement. Something was amiss with them, something he could get out with a little…persuasion. But he calculated if he could even work his powers anymore without his hybrid upgrades, his mind riddled with dubiety. He had not made the effort to use them in over a year…but it was worth a try. Besides, since his 'partner' was already capable of mental connections, the superior link he'd emit might be easily dominant.

"You have not told me your name, and since we are going to be stuck together for a while we mind as well get along with introductions. I am Brother Blood." He said, quite reserved, using the coaxing voice he had often issued when speaking with his old students. What had happened to them, anyway? He sat back and leaned against the wall, making himself comfortable. While he waited for their response he tapped into the chambers of his brain, where the power lay dormant, waiting to be arisen. Slowly it awakened.

"_My name's Branwen; although some call me Gwen for short."_ They said, their thoughts finally sounding normal and not riddled with suspicion. They turned and looked at him when they spoke.

So you are a woman, thought Brother Blood. All the better, in most cases he seemed to have an easier time controlling members of the opposite gender. He looked into her exhausted eyes that peered through the awful gauze wrappings and in the shadow of the cruel tight straps of the facemask. They appeared confused and once again fell into a bout of nervousness. Suddenly, before she could rip her glance away, both of his eyes glowed crimson, like that of a devil's, and caught her gaze. Branwen's mind instantly went blank and his words echoed inside her as if a long lost deity was whispering soft commands. Her whole existence was now to obey the voice and her heart and mind urged him to speak, waiting for a sound to pierce the loud static.

"Gwen, you shall tell me who dwells under the city, and precisely where and why they are hiding. And you will address me as Master from now on." Brother Blood hissed with hypnotic satisfaction. Branwen struggled to turn her head away, her eyes wide open and practically consuming the red aura as if they had hungered for such a thing her entire life. Her personal, blessed thoughts were diminished in a wink, like a candle blown out in the wind. After a few seconds of struggling, Blood intensified the mental pressure and her fragile will gave in totally.

"There are several that live underneath the city, Master." Gwen spoke in a toneless voice, with a sliver of acquiescence. "The first is Blake Stone, who is a skilled technical artisan, able to create his own metal through his gifts, and he will be the one to re-forge your prosthetics. The second is a young computer expert by the codename Thief, as he is skilled at hacking into any system as well as creating some. His real name is Nemo Anderson. The third is Stella Summers, a woman capable of healing many wounds with the touch of a hand, though the process greatly tires her. The fourth is Zara, a mixture between human and feline whose senses are very profound thanks to her mutations. The final is Arvel; who if gifted with the ability to create and maneuver ice…"

Gwen proceeded to tell Blood that they hid in an abandoned factory deep in the junkyard of eastern Steel City; a portion of the abandoned slums where few bothered to climb over the mounds of twisted, rusted scraps and crushed vehicles. The factory was boarded up outside, having been labeled condemned after it shut down for years, and to enter, one had to go through the old sewer systems. There was a ladder in the aqueduct chamber that she climbed up; at the top one would slide aside a control-operated manhole to enter the first floor of the factory. The aqueduct chamber could be entered through four old, passable sewer pipes whose paths were unbeknownst to the citizens and even most workers.

She said that she had found the chamber after running away from home when she was sixteen, and shortly afterwards she met Arvel; an older teen about her age whose reason for becoming a vagabond was a mystery. The two had taken furniture and other appliances from the junkyard and moved these into the chamber, since they could not get it all up the ladder. When they met Blake a few months later, he used his strength and a few devices he crafted to get the furniture into the factory and they created livable conditions. They ran rampant in the slums of the city, stealing food and trying to earn scraps of this and that for survival, and in their daily scuffles they had found Zara, Thief and Stella. She explained their life's stories to Brother Blood as if he were an old friend that had wanted an update after being gone for a very long time.

So you and your small group of freaks live together; going nowhere in life, and each of you possesses a great power that others fear. This is becoming all too perfect! Brother Blood thought to himself with gusto. "Branwen, what did the police want with your group; did you murder a someone?"

"_Every so often, especially when we were going to steal something, we would have run-ins with the police until we became known after a while as a notorious gang the officials had given the nickname 'The Shadow Raiders', because we would come at dusk when the shadows lengthened and disappear into the darkness when we had got what we came for, from food to tools. We never meant any real harm, though, it's just that this society was negligent to except us, for many reasons, and we had no money our whole lives. They sought to capture the leader, myself, for a long time and incarcerate me, and two days ago they had their chance. I was on the boarder of the slums, driven there from a few odds that had turned against my normal route, and one of the apartments at the end of the block was on fire. I ran over to see what was happening, and there was someone screaming up in the burning building somewhere. I pushed my way through the crowds of people the police were keeping at bay to get a better look. The firefighters were spraying multiple jets of water into the black smoke and flames, too many trucks to count, all to no real avail. I ran by the police, watching as a terrified woman leapt from the building in madness and fear, and desperately I tried to shield her from hitting the ground. My force-field enveloped her, and she hovered several stories in the air, lashing and crying out in panic, but she was safe. Some of the police recognized me, and in their anger and fear of the unknown they tackled me. Under normal circumstances I could have kept my concentration, but I hit my head on the concrete and blanked out. The woman dropped and…she died instantly. I woke up in the van escorting me to the prison, wrapped in the restraints you see. The mask was meant to hinder my telekinesis and telepathy through electronic probes that stabilized the brainwaves, but I managed to rip off one of the sides. The rest I believe you know, Master." _Gwen finished, sounding very tired. Her shoulders drooped and her head hung lower than usual. Brother Blood, satisfied with what he had extracted from her, blinked once and the red aura vanished. In the corners of his mind the link was still present, and Branwen rubbed the back of her head, confused.

"_What was I saying, Master?"_ She asked telepathically, sounding herself once again, but obviously her memory was fogged, her versions of the past now twisted thanks to Blood's tampering.

"It doesn't matter, dear Gwen, you have already told me everything I need to know." Brother Blood replied smoothly, smiling with hidden fiendishness.

She nodded and sighed.


	4. Abomination

**Chapter 4: Abomination**

Downtown Jump City was, for lack of better words, in absolute discord and chaos. Columns of charcoal-colored smoke rolled into the sky, thick and ink-like, from buildings caught ablaze. From the mushroom heads of dust heaved up into the air, like the souls of the structures that had collapsed, a gray fog blotted out the sun so the sky was tinged with blood colored rust. Robin zoomed ahead on his red motorcycle through the deserted streets, passing skyscrapers and hollow buildings in a blur, some with chunks torn out of them where a creature's massive shoulder had scraped. The yellow beam of light shined into the eerie twilight ahead like the gaze of a dragon. Cyborg was driving the T-car with its blue tech and sleek white exterior; racing behind Robin and adding another set of pale dragon eyes into the void in front of them. Beast Boy, in the form of an eagle with keen eyes, observed the area below, joined by Starfire to his right and Raven to his left, her blue cape flapping wildly.

They cast obscure shadows along the buildings, their luminescence causing all of the windows and shards of glass to glint with a thousand flashes. Raven turned her head slowly, scanning the area and looking for signs of movement. The lucky people had fled the area; and there were no human signs or sounds of life, just the hissing of burst pipes, the crackling of massive fires, and the hum of the engines. Starfire glanced behind her for just a moment and watched a crowd of citizens in the far distance scramble for shelter. Her heart throbbed for a second with pity and sadness; all of those homes and jobs destroyed, she frowned and darkened her bright face. She looked forward and narrowed her neon green eyes. Ternion must be stopped quickly before he could do any more damage; but through all the smoke he was difficult to find even if he was a colossal foe.

Robin's cycle suddenly banked to the left and the T-car completed the sharp turn with a screech. Beast Boy tilted his wingspan and dove lower at an angle for speed; then as Raven and Starfire sped ahead he morphed into an imperial falcon and darted after them. Suddenly, Raven caught a glimpse of a hulking mass to the far right; but it was encased in smoke that rose up from what looked like a shallow fissure in the ground between two large buildings.

"Star, did you see that?" Raven asked her, and Starfire nodded. Raven transmitted her findings to Cyborg and Robin using her round T-communicator and both vehicles screeched to a halt. The Boy Wonder and the Mechanical Human abandoned their transportation devices and ran towards the wall of smoke where Raven had spotted what could be their target. The three aerial Titans hovered by the two grounded one's sides.

"Does anyone see anything; 'cause my radar is acting up from all the clouds." Cyborg asked forebodingly, staring at the screen on his arm and then looking at the smog. Beast Boy shook his razor beaked head and both Raven and Robin were silent.

"How can we see into that blackness?" Starfire asked, squinting intently. Near the oppressing smoke, everything was strangely silent.

The flashlight built into Cyborg's shoulder sprung up and he tried to use its tiny but powerful beam to pierce the darkness, moving from the left to the right, up and down, standing with his hands near his hips. It seemed only lost in the wall of smoke when the line of light caught the edge of something glistening and bio-green in color. A covering slowly closed over the convex lucid green light, and before it was too late the Titan's realized it was a bulbous, slimy eye, one they were all too familiar with.

A black appendage groped its way out of the darkness above them, the end of it clawed wickedly like a warped pitchfork, as lengthy and dense as a dead oak tree, its darkened form contrasting with the red of the sky. The arm and hand of Ternion poised above threateningly, but Robin managed to shout: "Titan's, split up!" before the arm came crashing down in a horizontal swipe that would have severed a head or cleaved a body in two. Cyborg and Robin dived aside and Beast Boy, Raven and Starfire darted up and away, scattering like frightened fireflies.

Starfire flew into range and began hurling spheres of sage-hued energy into the darkness where she had estimated the body of their enemy was stationed, bombarding it from above. For all she knew, her shots could have missed completely, the monster could have stepped further back into the protective curtain of darkness. Raven flew close to the ground at a rapid pace, looking frantically at the abandoned theatres, restaurants and casinos, trying to find something to project at Ternion. Her dark indigo hair lashed about and the gem on her head shined.

"Where the hell is it?" Robin growled and unlatched a few bombs from his utility belt, clenching them in one hand in the manner that one would hold playing cards. Cyborg stood in a bracied stance, the mouth of his extended charged particle cannon facing the darkness.

At last one of Starfire's bolts struck home and a ragged; unnatural cry that was a mix between geometric vibrations, computerized vocals and gurgling, primal rage sounded out. It sent shiver's up their spines and made their hair stand on end.

"Slade was a crazy bastard for creating somethin' so horrible." Cyborg spat.

Out of the darkness a misshapen purple head with many random green eyes and a gaping mouth with rows of crooked teeth emerged; patches of its slimy bio-violet flesh eaten away revealing glowing blue cracks underneath where Overload's cybernetic body was fused. Its breath was rancid and it smelled of chemicals and decomposing matter.

"Titan's, attack in unison!" Robin yelled, and he hurled bombs at the creature, which exploded in its hideous face. It gave another screech of pain and clawed at Robin, who was in the air as the talons of a green Pterodactyl swooped down, seized his shoulders, and flew him to safety out of the creature's reach. Starfire began to fling more energy bolts at its face, and Cyborg's cannon was almost finished charging, wavelengths of ultramarine light forming in the throat of the cannon. He furrowed his hybrid brow, leering in concentration.

Raven seized a flipped over car with her mental energy, a glowing sable aura emitting from her eyes and shrouding the car.

"Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos!" She cried and flung the car straight into what she thought was Ternion's gut. The creature was slammed backwards, knocking the wind out of it, and it disappeared in the smoke once again. Raven cursed silently and seized a bent lamppost with her telekinetic energy and waited in the air. They had all attacked at once, as they had done when Slade's forces once rampaged through the city, and they had defeated it the last time with one fluid strike. Apparently it had learned to hide; a fact that Robin questioned in the back of his mind.

He stood with Cyborg to his left and Starfire to his right, still in the air but having ceased her barrage, and Raven hovering mystically to Cyborg's far left. Above Beast Boy flapped his leathery, reptilian wings.

Raven's car was suddenly thrown back at them out of nowhere, traveling at amazing speeds, but Cyborg had anticipated this and he fired his arm cannon. The blast stopped the car in thin air and punctured the gas tank, which exploded. He smiled grimly as pieces rained down and the other members of the team shielded themselves. Again an arm reached out, far quicker this time, and Robin frantically leaped over the deadly incisors. Starfire shot a large energy ball at the arm, striking it, and the creature seemed to flinch, the arm was withdrawing slower this time. Robin shouted a battle cry and leapt on the hand, striking it vehemently with his metal staff. Ternion howled in pain, and stretched out its other arm to squash Robin like a fly when Raven appeared in the air from above, her arms extended and palms facing the sky, launching the lamppost down like a nail driven by an invisible hammer, and impaling the brute's arm by the wrist into the road. Robin rolled off of the pinned appendage a bit perplexed, and shook his head as he quickly regained his senses and ran out of reach of Ternion's remaining free hand. A glossy black fluid leaked from the wound in the creature's wrist and Starfire cringed, almost feeling some remorse for it.

Ternion's loathsome anterior revealed itself as it emerged from the darkness. It desperately tried to rip its pinned arm out of the ground, pulling at it with its free hand and attempting to un-wedge Raven's makeshift spike. Robin whipped his field of vision around and noticed that Cyborg had deserted them, he was nowhere to be found. Could his impatience to hunt down Brother Blood have taken control of him; causing him to flee, even though it was steadfastly unlike him? Their leader had no time to contemplate the actions of his android friend, as Ternion's body tensed and it screeched, spitting a gigantic glob of acid at him. He dove behind a wall of road that had been uprooted from vibrations in the ground and the acid splattered against the asphalt, melting it away with a steaming hiss and foul odor.

Starfire took the opportunity of Ternion's exposure to fly in and deliver a skull-shattering kick to the monster's chest. Ternion fell over with a winded gasp and scrambled to get to its feet; its lower half still shrouded. Unable to shrink back into the curtain of smog the creature lay helpless and swatted at Beast Boy as he flew in front of Tenrion's face, confusing it. The dumb brute became enraged from the Changeling's taunting and spat multiple shots of acid at him. Beast Boy nimbly dodged them in the air, flapping up, diving down and maneuvering to the left and right as repulsive blobs whizzed by, morphing into a variety of flying animals. His enemy still fired at him, and the green metamorphose transformed into a bat and flew out of range, shrieking. The building face behind him that had been pelted from the acid 'bullets' was peppered with gaping holes.

"Raven, see if you can impale his other hand while I distract him!" Robin shouted to the psychic girl from behind his melted and almost useless wall of protection. "Starfire and Beast Boy, cover me!"

Robin ran as fast as his legs would permit it towards Ternion, breathing heavily but steadily and readied the rhythm to which he would attack. Almost as if dancing, with as much grace but more unrestrained and powerful, he revolved his staff like a fan and used the obtained force to drive the pole into the ground and vaulted, cape flapping behind him and raven hair waving wildly, onto Ternion's obscene head. Just behind the splatter of lucid eyes, the Boy Wonder exhibited his balance and strength, and yelled as he drove his metal staff into the cranium of the monster. Most beings would have been severely injured or even dead from a blow such as that, but Ternion was made of more than purple sludge, underneath him was the compact shell of Cinderblock and the stamina and power of Overload. It was painful nonetheless, and the creature screamed wretchedly and desperately tried to shake and claw Robin off of him. Robin leapt onto the ground, stumbled from the height and force of the landing, and spun around just as the talon of the monster was about to crush him.

Starfire had seen this preemptive strike and rocketed down from the skies; grabbed her friend and flying out of the way. Ternion howled again, a terrible, straining sound, and spat more globs of acid at the alien girl as she lowered Robin onto a roof.

Making use of the distraction, Raven sent another lamppost down forcefully with a '_Thunk_!' and succeeded in binding the creature's other hand to the road. Ternion screeched but continued to hurl acid at the air born Tamranian.

"Star, watch out!" Robin shouted cautiously as some sludge flew right above her head.

Starfire shrieked and covered her face as the acid shot straight at her; but Beast Boy flew in the way to shield her, in his Pterodactyl form once again, and some of the chemicals splattered into his face and on his breast. A burning sensation spread and sent waves of searing pain through his trembling body. The Changeling transformed back to normal, falling limply towards the street far below him. Starfire caught him just before he hit the ground and hid out of range as fast as she could muster.

"Beast Boy!" She cried in desperation, her face twisted with grief as she lowered him to rest. The acid had burned a gaping patch into his chest and a few splotches on his face. He was barely conscious and moaned in agony, his body unnaturally straight. He had not received a lethal dosage, she estimated, but the wounds would take a long time to recover and there would be scars…

Robin watched his courageous friend get stricken down and heard his cry of pain. He looked at the pathetic position Ternion was in, with both wrists impaled to the road and bleeding, but still growling and spitting at Raven, who blocked each shot with a valiant wave of her hand and flicker of telekinetic energy. He gritted his teeth with a feeling of rage and sorrow.

Beast Boy opened his eyes, staring and seeing only blurred shadows, hearing nothing but a reverberating pounding in his elfish ears. Starfire cradled his head in her arms and urged him to stay still. Suddenly, far distant in the Changeling's vision a streak of light appeared across the horizon like a beacon of hope, and he recognized the steady roar of a speeding engine.

"Cyborg!" He cried out happily, the light reflecting in his feverish, bloodshot eyes. He only gazed out for a few more seconds before collapsing. Starfire looked ahead and laughed with relief, her fallen friend's head and shoulders resting in her lap.

The T-car, with its charged particle cannon fully loaded on the roof of the vehicle, screeched as it braked and fishtailed to a stop right near Ternion. The cannon craned its opening to the left and locked onto its target.

Ternion gaped at Cyborg, breath coming in ragged gasps, a clear slime trickling from the corners of its mouth, splayed on its knees before him. Cyborg returned the glare boldly, a look that struck intense dread into the creature's soul. It was staring back at its own demise.

"Booya." Cyborg said smugly and pressed the red thumb button on his control. The cannon blasted a ray of dazzling blue light that thundered into Ternion, causing the abomination to fly backwards into the abyss, separating the body from its pinned arms. The car had been pushed backwards from the aftershock and the android stepped out and pumped his fist into the air with triumph. A snaking river of smoke trailed out of the cannon mouth and the air buzzed with heated motion.

"Oh yeah, baby! That's what I call a barbeque." He laughed, half grimly as his companions walked over. Raven smiled gently but her usual look of somberness returned as Starfire walked near, carrying Beast Boy in her arms like a child. Robin lowered himself down using a grappling hook from the rooftop, and retracted the cable with a humming noise. He ran over to join them.

"Oh my god, what happened to Beast Boy?" Cyborg asked and ran to meet Starfire. He looked at the seared flesh across the boy's chest and the few spots on his chin and cheeks, a grim expression on his now haggard face.

"Ternion hit him with an acid blast when he protected Starfire. That was an extremely brave move." Raven told him. Even if it was a bit foolish, Beast Boy thinks sometimes too much with his heart instead of his brain, she thought sadly to herself.

"I think he will recover; though it will require much treatment." Starfire said quietly. "The acid did not burn deep because of his clothes, and a only a few molecules landed on his face."

"We have to get him to a hospital, and fast." Robin said, examining Beast Boy with concern, but nodding as he realized the wounds were not mortally serious. They carried him to the oddly angled car in the center of the broken, thrashed street and placed him in the back seat, where they gently washed his burns and bandaged them.

The area that Ternion had stormed through was already receiving clean up efforts as they headed to the hospital. Fire trucks and airplanes coming from above extinguished the blazes and the smoke began to blow away in the swift winds. Citizens were put into shelters and given food, water, warmth, a place to sleep and medicine. The sun was beginning to set on the horizon; a brass half-circle shining brightly, as another day came to a close.

The Titans had lasted almost a year without any change, but little did they know that a cataclysm was soon to come with the red dawn.


	5. What Lay Beneath

_(Author's Notes: Ugh this is the longest its taken for me to update, and to all those that submitted reviews, THANK YOU! I've been trying to portray the villain and the hero perspectives well, because I wanted that stark contrast. I don't have writer's block, but school and other things are keeping me preoccupied. I hope you can understand. Anyway, I thought I'd let everyone reading this know that I'm not particularly good at romance and couples, which is why I didn't post one of those 'BBRae StarRob CyJinx' notifications in my summary. I like to focus more on battles and imagery, so to speak. If you notice in the chapters coming up that there is too much or not enough fluff, or if things get a little cheesy, PLEASE let me know. Thanks! Enjoy the chapter and I will try to update as soon as I can.)_

**Chapter 5: What Lay Beneath**

Night fell swiftly in Steel City; the sun had set and cast brilliant arrays of passively warm colors (fiery reds, subtle oranges and brass yellows) across the cool surfaces of the reflective ocean, ever dark and nearly frozen in the heart of winter. A deep-set magenta peppered the clouded skies near the sunset through the smoky gray holes. Seagulls traversed the heavens on their last flight before tucking in the trees, docks, and fishing warehouses. On the fugitive's cliff face, the tiny fire that had been lit in the small crag embedded in the limestone was put out, and were it not for the almost full moon they may have just been blind and helpless.

Branwen awoke with a start as a cold, strong hand gripped her shoulder and shook her. She rubbed her eyes, pushing aside her rather tangled hair and bangs, careful not to tug on the restraint mask; it would take a careful hand and some special tools to extract the other clasp from her head without causing her great pain. She was instantly pulled out of her grogginess, without the fire the frigid air blew in and sunk into the marrow of her bones. She shivered, rubbing her hands on the sides of her arms for friction, and asked:

"_Master,_ _I see it is now nightfall; should we get going?"_

"Yes, we shall proceed, and if you truly know your way through the sewer system as you say, then you can lead me to the aqueduct chamber through the pipe right below us." Blood said in a low voice; his breath nearly fogging his face completely, giving him the appearance of an ethereal being, especially with the sly glow of his red humanoid eye. Gwen crawled over to the edge and peered down the pale and speckled precipice, a chilly updraft sifting through her midnight hued tresses and writhing a little, like snakes. About 15 feet below them, sure enough a dark cylindrical shape protruded just slightly from the wall of rock. She can't believe she hadn't noticed it before, and then realized it must have been high tide when she had her first look. After Brother Blood saw that she knew the location of the pipe, he examined his damaged hands one last time then said: "Lower us down."

Gwen clenched her fists gently and closed her eyes in concentration. The mask was only half on; but it still hurt dreadfully to use her telekinesis. The air flickered with dark blue light and Blood felt himself levitating a few inches off the ground, almost as if sitting on an invisible plate of glass that could float and move with ease. At a steady pace they floated out of the tiny cave; then she lowered them to the opening in the pipe. She moved them into the entrance, landed on the floor and dropped the shield with a steady blink and a release of mental energy that was neither seen nor heard. The ceiling of rusted metal was just large enough for her to stand in but Blood would have to stoop a little.

"_Its pitch black ahead. What are we to use for light?"_ Gwen asked, turning to Brother Blood. She noticed that he was carrying a large piece of driftwood; and now he dug into his pocket and retrieved two small stones he must have found somewhere along their escape route or in the cave. The driftwood, she guessed, he probably had climbed down to the water at night and grabbed it; along with a few other things he had used to feed the old fire. He walked over to her, reached out, and ripped off a good amount of the wrappings from her right arm. Using some of the frayed straps, he tied the cluster of cloth onto one end of the driftwood log and sat down. Working quickly, he struck the two rocks together smartly with a loud clack, and a few sparks flew forth onto the cloth with a burning hiss and puff of smoke. It would take another minute or two to successfully ignite the rather slipshod torch.

"Keep watch and make sure there're no boats out there." Blood grunted the order as he worked. Branwen stood in the pipe right behind the line that separated moonlight from the monotone shadows. She searched out into the cold, empty night and looked for dark blobs on the sea, but none were present, and the only sound was the clack of the stones and the crash and roar of waves pummeling the rocks outside. At last Blood got the torch to burn steadily; and they made their way down the pipe for two minutes or so before reaching a rounded tunnel made of stone. The top was lined with pipes of different proportions, and the bottom consisted of an old channel that originally channeled water but was now disused after the city outlawed emptying toxic wastes into the ocean. At their feet, they stepped in puddles of cold seawater, and crunched the remains of dead crabs, the shells of barnacles and clams, and even a few bones of drowned rats. The smell was more bothersome than the creeping darkness; an odor of salty, fishy low tide and decay. Seaweed littered the floor and the walls were covered in a thin layer of greenish slime.

_"Master, if we head down this way, it should lead us to the main Eastern aqueduct chamber where the sewer still flows. If we head east from there we can reach the chamber in only a few hours. The main sewage system is lit from above."_ Branwen suggested. Brother Blood only nodded in approval.

Wonderful, crawling through the pipes like rats, he scoffed without a word. He had set new malevolent goals for himself and would suffer these rank conditions despite it all. After brooding in solitary confinement for a year, even this place of rot and vermin seemed better than the same dreary walls. Gwen did not seem to mind as she sprang nimbly over the slippery stonework, just on the edges of where the light of his torch spread, and he did not pay attention to the upbeat swing in her step, for she was relishing her newfound freedom. Ironically enough, for now her very will was in his cold, unfeeling grasp.

They jogged at a normal pace and traveled further into the depths of Steel City; unnoticed in the dark, dank places of the earth.

Blood's side was stinging sharply with pain where the barbed wires had torn into his skin; they had been running for nearly two hours and the wounds were slowly being torn open from the constant movement. They had followed the abandoned aqueduct but eventually it been blocked by a round door meant to seal off water in times of flooding. Branwen lifted up the top of the side panel box next to the door and entered a code on the number pad, then flipped the switch, which sparked with life, and the door rolled aside into the wall. After they had crossed over, she rolled the door back in by re-entering the code.

"_That door was deactivated a long time ago; but thanks to Thief's computer skills and Blake's wires, we were able to rig the system and take it as our own."_ She had told him.

Now they were in the main channel, and water flowed freely in the center, sometimes it was clean and sometimes it was foul and almost unbearable. They walked on the narrow sides of the underground stream, where every now and then on the walls there would be a broken ladder. Above, dim and dusty lights lit the area with a dismal glow.

They were running east; most likely underneath the slums, Brother Blood estimated. The further east they went, the more vile and perilous the sewer became. At times they would have to jump across intersections between channels and to the right there would be an opening with a very big chamber and round room, where the water rushed into a roaring whirlpool to be sucked through the pipes or deeper under the city. Falling into the water near one of those chambers would mean an instant drowning; and he observed the grimy, large and mean looking rats that occasionally darted by, they were careful to run along the pipes on the walls rather than brave jumping across the sidewalk intersections and risk falling into the quick current. After a few more miles, just when Blood felt as if his side was about to rip apart, they crossed into an area where no water ran. Walking just a half a mile from there, they reached another thick round door that Gwen rolled aside, and revealed what was behind it.

They stepped into the largest chamber he had seen yet, the walls were lined with circular rings of pipes, some running horizontally and others snaking down vertically. The room was domed and rounded, and he noticed a ladder that lead straight to the apex of the chamber where it looked like a trap door had been built. What caught his attentions, though, were the three other entrance doors that were to his left, right, and straight ahead. Gwen noticed this as he turned his head and spoke in a docile tone:

_"Those tunnels lead to the other three parts of the city, Master. Divided into the Northern Quarter, the Western Quarter, and the Southern Quarter."_

"I figured as much." He replied without much care. Then, he looked at her, and his eyes flashed red for only an instant. She blinked faintly, and walked over to the ladder as if nothing had happened. He wanted to make sure that she was completely in the shadow of his control when he met her friends. When she reached the ladder and noticed that her 'partner' had not done the same, she spun around with a whirl of her black hair and asked:

_"Do you not wish to come up?"_

"No, I'll wait down here while you explain your tale to them so they don't react and make a scene when they see you…in your rather battered state." Said Brother Blood calmly. Gwen nodded, it made sense, after all, that it would look bad if she came stumbling in, bloodied and weathered, and being followed by a stranger who was only half human. She climbed up, up, and then at last rolled aside the trap door, a sliver of light penetrating the darker room below, causing Blood to avert his eyes from the stinging, and disappeared.

When she climbed through the trap door, just a few paces away a group of figures were circled around a table littered with maps and a newspaper, couches surrounding the table, but all were standing and arguing heatedly in loud voices. She couldn't help but smile, gently but sardonically behind the confinements of the horrid mask. She listened to them for a brief moment:

"That won't work, she wouldn't hide there!"

"Who says she wouldn't? She could be ANYWHERE, damn it!"

"I told you two to knock it off already, this yelling solves nothing!"

"You just want to look and give up so you can lead, you don't give a shit whether she's alive or rotting in some ditch!"

"What? That's a lie!"

"Haha, look at Blake's vein popping out! Whoa, don't throw that at me man, I was kidding around! OW SHIT! That hurt, you mother-"

Branwen cleared her throat and took a step forward. At once the party surrounding the table snapped their heads in her direction, and a few gasped. There were 5 of them, just as she had hypnotically told Brother Blood. They made quite the group: A muscular man with dark hair and a brown goatee, dressed in black and silver, who's body adorned many technical gadgets, and he held a pair of sunglasses in his one gloved hand, he was breathing heavily, being one of those who was just shouting. There was a female her age with fair skin, long brown hair tied into a braid with a rose colored ribbon, and emerald eyes, with a blue skirt, white blouse and boots, a male her age with a youthful face but sad, mature eyes and messy brown hair, dressed in baggy jeans, sneakers and a black sweatshirt, another boy that was much younger, extremely skinny and who also wore clothes much too big for him, consisting of a faded orange sweater, gray sweatpants with patches on the knees and whose hair was spiked up, lime-green and purple, bug-eyed goggles resting on his head, and lastly, the most exotic, was a female whose skin was very tan and her body lithe, but where her hand should have been there were white cat claws, along with a cat snout, tail and cat ears, all with violet stripes. She wore a pair of faded blue jeans with boots, a black and purple striped tube-top for a shirt, and in several places there were white handkerchiefs tied to her arms or legs where wounds were mended. Her hair was long, wavy and purple. The first one to speak was the boy with messy brown hair and deep, sorrowful hazel eyes known as Arvel.

"Gwen…is that _you_?" He ran over to her and looked into her crystalline gaze. He the breathed: "It _is_ you."

The others needed no more confirmation before they exploded into a tumult of questions, running up and entrapping her in a circle.

"What happened?"

"How did you get here?"

"Why's your one arm ripped up?"

"Did you really escape from the Northern prison?"

"Yeah, and did you really get help from another fugitive? What's-his-name…"

"The Fuzz followin' you?"

"Are they in the tunnel?"

"Where's the other guy, did he run away and squeal to 'em?"

Branwen shook her head 'No!" violently and waved her hands, taking a step back. The green-haired boy sprang towards her and looked her up and down, then snickered (the only one smiling, if devilishly) and pointed:

"B', what are you doin' wearing those mummy wraps? Halloween isn't for like what, another 8 months…and the whole Dawn of the Dead look is old news."

The man in black and silver scowled and smacked the boy away. His expression turned to surprise as a foreign feeling prickled in his brain, and he realized Branwen was telepathically speaking to him, a sensation that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

_"Blake, get this damn mask off of me and I'll tell you everything. It pains me to use my powers; so don't make me do this anymore."_

The others looked from Branwen to Blake, and then the girl with the long brown braid asked:

"What did she say, Blake?"

Blake blinked and ran his fingers through his hair then said: "She wants me to take off the mask so she can speak to us, she says the mask hurts her if she tries to use her powers."

Instantly they backed off, even the boy who normally didn't catch the drift of most situations. Blake offered Gwen his arm, and he led her to one of the rooms beyond the couches. The section they were in was the lounge, where a flat-screen TV was set on a stand and the couches splayed around the now disheveled table. They were indeed in an old factory, for just outside the rooms there was a conveyor belt that now served as a bar (with a few empty Smirnoff bottles on top), lined with three or four wooden stools, the box at the end where the belt was fed into was actually a refrigerator. Beyond that there were garage-door type walls, sectioning off a storage closet and bathrooms. Further down was another hall, and to the left was Blake's room.

Branwen sat in a chair that retracted backwards, like one might see at the dentists or even in a Frankenstein movie, and she waited in the lamplight as Blake searched in his tool cabinets and chests for the right instruments. Had she had seen Cyborg's room, the two would have been remarkably similar, except this gear was homemade and with a mysterious unfamiliar look to it, as if it had all been forged with some unknown ore. Blake finally gave a bleak 'Ah ha, there it is…' before coming over and examining her mask one last time.

"Alright Gwen, there's a small metal tab that acts as a magnet to connect to your brainwaves, so there's no physical bond. My guess is that you scraped your head against something and the other bond was torn, ripping open your skin from the pull." He held up a small object that looked like a pen, but it was tipped with a monkey wrench-like clamp with a tiny electrical wire pulsing between the two 'teeth'. He turned her head so that the still-connected side was exposed; and very gently, very accurately, slid the probe underneath the metal tab like one would use an envelope opener to break a seal. "Feel anything?" he asked when he was done.

Branwen gingerly tried tugging at the side of the mask, which lifted away from her temple without pain.

_"The link's been cut. Could you undo the strap in the back?"_ She asked him, for her mouth was still restrained. She hadn't had much time to pay attention, but after nearly two days without any food or water, she felt extremely weak. Why hadn't she noticed this before?

Blake lifted the flap and pulled the metal clasp out of one of the holes in the back of the mask, just like a belt, and slid the strap out of the loop altogether. After he undid a few more clasps, she pulled the mask off of her face and inhaled deeply through her mouth, yawning.

"Thanks, Blake. What would I do without you?" She said graciously, smiling very lightly. There were red marks across her cheeks; and down her forehead, nose and chin where the mask straps had rubbed against her face.

"Ouch, you'll want to have Stella look at that." Blake sympathized as he peered closely at the chafe marks. "And I'd go clean the blood off the side of your head if I were you; it looks like a vampire went after you but he had bad aim."

Blood. She had almost forgotten about him, waiting downstairs, probably losing his patience, although…he seemed to have a great amount despite the situation.

"Blake, come with me to the lounge, there's a lot I have to explain to everyone."

Branwen, after gulping down some scorching hot soup Stella had quickly heated up for her, sat with a blanket around her still-bandaged shoulders and called for silence as her friends all plopped down on the squishy couches. It felt so good to sit on something comfy again, to feel warmth and be in good company. She sat cross-legged with the blanket around her, an old childish habit, now sipping a mug of hot tea.

Starting from the incident with the fire and the falling woman, she filled them in with all the details about being brought to the prison, and when she came to the part where she begged for Brother Blood's help and the deal they'd made (her escape, his upgrades), Arvel interjected before Blake could even question about what his technology was like.

"Where is he now?"

"Down in the chamber, waiting for me to explain things so you won't panic when he comes in." Branwen answered smoothly. She took a sip from her mug nonchalantly; then brushed a lock of sleek onyx hair out of her face. Everyone was content with the deal, save Arvel and Blake, who both knew that the man wasn't put in prison just for the hell of it. Something was amiss in her story; but she made it sound as if he were some archangel who had been waiting in the cell to be her salvation.

"So what did you do after that?" Zara, the cross-blood, asked in her silky, almost purring voice. She flicked her white tail and watched with lazy, brilliant green cat eyes.

Branwen completed her tale of the escape, making sure to describe what she remembered of the explosions and gunfire turrets well for Thief, who was practically drooling, and ended at the part where Blood told her he would wait in the aqueduct chamber.

"That being said, let me tell him I'm finished." Gwen concluded, and everyone's eyes followed her as she went to the manhole and entered a code that slid it aside, just like the sewer doors. She climbed down and disappeared, the manhole sliding back over. For a few seconds, they were all silent, somewhat dumbfounded by all the news. It was Thief who broke the silence.

"So the dude's a cyborg, huh? I bet he's all wires and metal armor, like Droid the ruthless Bounty Hunter in Clash of the Planets! Yeah, he's gotta' be kick ass to have been put into Helena Prison…" He mused hopefully, hands clutched together and near his chin as if in prayer, his eyes seeming to grow ten times their size and sparkling as a dopey grin slapped across his face. Blake shot him a look and Zara chuckled heartily, closing her eyes briefly and twitching an ear. Arvel was tapping a finger on the side of the couch; then fiddled with the loose strings on the end of one of his sweatshirt sleeves. Stella played with her braid girlishly, legs crossed and swinging one boot slightly. They were all nervous as to what this man would be like; and Blake was already going over his materials for metalworking. Gwen told him he would need to include his Xinothium in the re-forging of his prosthetics, but he had used it recently to create a few high-powered explosives, and he might not have enough…

Suddenly the manhole opened again, and Branwen climbed up through. She stood with both hands clasped in front of her with calm anticipation as a man whose right side of his face was nearly consumed by metal counterparts, and whose arms were made up of a glossy surface with spikes protruding from each one, arose from the hole in the floor. As the rest of him emerged from the darkness, Branwen slid the manhole back over and strutted over to her band of misfits absent-mindedly. Once again, it was up to Thief to spark something as he hopped off the couch and darted over to the half-android; who looked down at him, expressionless. Thief poked one of his cybernetic arms, looking at the metal claws with glimmering eyes, and cooed:

"Ooooh man, that's some awesome tech…"

Brother Blood smiled deceivingly. Arvel stood up from his chair, jaw set in a suspicious expression, and Blake was too transfixed by the man's gear to care about what the man's face read. Then, as if struck by lightning, Blake leapt up from the sofa and stormed over to Thief, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and proceeded to drag him away despite the boy's whining curses of protest.

"Sorry, he can't control himself sometimes…" Blake grumbled, and, once they were a safe distance away, lifted Thief to his feet, whispering in the boy's ear: "Damn it, Nemo, if you screw us over I'm going to have Zara use you for a scratch post…"

"Only if she's in a bikini…" Thief retorted mischievously, and Blake snorted with disgust and tossed him onto the couch.

The two women on the couches stood up to greet their guest with the rest of the group. Almost as if by some surreal instinct, Stella's eyes skipped over the man's cybernetic tech and she looked straight at the bloody scratches in his side, her brow creasing with concern.

"Friends, this is the man who not only helped me escape, but probably saved my life as well. His name is Brother Blood; and I believe it is our turn to repay him for his help." Branwen said without any trace of regret or worry. She stepped aside as Brother Blood walked closer, his damaged arms and hands behind his back casually.

"A pleasure to meet all of you." He spoke obligingly in his most convincing voice. "Were it not for this lady's remarkable powers, however, escape would have been inevitably futile." He brought his arms out in front of him and examined them, in a shambled state. In some places the armor had worn away and the backs of wires could be seen, exposed. "Although all this running has left me exhausted and worn on my prosthetics badly."

"You're hurt." Stella pointed delicately then lowered her finger as to not exaggerate the issue. Everyone did look, however, and Brother Blood shrugged.

"Yes, that happened when I leapt over the fence, I must've torn it on some barbed wires." He clutched his side brashly as if in pain, although it was much less than he made it out to be. Everyone seemed concerned, except the boy in the black hoodie with untidy brown hair, Blood noted, he glared at him warily with distrust and contempt, keeping his distance. His stance clearly had 'Who do you think you are?' written all over it.

Stella walked over to him, as if in a trance, and extended her hand. She rested it on his injured side very gently and a white light emitted from her palm, sinking into the wounds until the lined gashes were pulsing with the light. After a few seconds, the light shrank, and so did the wounds, which closed completely. Blood stared in wonder. If one of them could heal cuts…what could the others do with their abilities?

"Thanks." He replied after she stepped away. Stella smiled, a smile that was very innocent and kindly. He found himself thinking over how a girl like her could have wound up in a junkyard band of freaks. Best not to bother, after all, he would shape their raw material into something that glittered sharply with intimidation, and their pasts would not matter.

"Its no trouble, really." Stella said in her soft voice. Arvel scoffed silently and Thief rolled his eyes immaturely. Zara eyed Blood coolly; her cat senses starting to tell her something wasn't right.

Brother Blood turned to Blake. Yes, he had to be the metal smith, he had silver armlets on his wrists to his elbows that looked electronic, belts of different tools making an 'X' across his chest…

"You must be the one who works with metals. Blake, isn't it?" He asked. Blake nodded and stood up straighter, his sunglasses concealing his eyes. He looked to be in his mid twenties.

"Yeah, I'm the guy who can fix you. Exactly what did you have in mind?"

"It will take some time to explain, and I am quite famished and tired. Is there a place where I can revive myself?" Brother Blood asked; suddenly paying attention to the grinding pit that was his ravaging empty stomach.

"Oh! Sorry, how rude of us. Here, I'll get you something to eat, and you can rest before you do anything else." Stella fussed, and took his arm and led him to the kitchen/bar. She had him seated and was asking him if there was anything he preferred.

"Okay, Stella's starting to scare me." Thief muttered; eyebrow cocked sharply. "Is she a 19 year old waitress or a 46 year old soccer mom?"

"Shut it, Thief." Blake grumbled, his temper nearly ready to cause an eruption that would scorch anyone within range. Thief noticed this, and backed away peevishly. Arvel stood next to Branwen, glad to get a chance to speak with her. He, dwelling in the slums his whole life, was used to seeing people in poor conditions, but the wrappings looked uncomfortably tight, and he noticed the rub marks on her face. What had they done to her? Was it the police or was it that man, what did he call himself, Brother Blood?

"What's up with you, Gwen? You seem…different. Changed." He asked her quietly, but with no less concern. Branwen turned to him with a look of confusion.

"Nothing's the matter, Arvel, I've just had it rough the past few days." She whispered. He reached out to gently touch the place where her mask had torn off, where the dried blood was caked to her face and ran down behind her ear. She, used to pain after living on the streets, didn't flinch, but only grabbed his hand and lowered it away. "I'm okay, really." She gave him an assuring smile, which at first he took in happily enough, for a while he thought he would never see her face again, but he noticed that it was weak, not the strong smile of the leader he thought he knew. His eyes reflected worry.

Some time passed, and after Stella made sure Brother Blood had eaten his fill and slept a little, he and Blake sat by the bar and discussed the business of fixing his technology. Blake observed every inch of Brother Blood's cybernetic counterparts, first the arms, the shoulders, and then his head. Blake nodded with understanding; then said:

"Your digital components have been crafted with great skill and precision, but I see a few flaws in their construction, mainly in the joint areas and places that control movement. Your shoulder pieces are too bulky, and the spikes on top are pointless, they should be removed. The ones on your arms are fine. By altering your tech design, I could give you easier and stronger movement, greater agility, and clearly defined strength. The fact that you climbed not one but two cement walls with this alone is astounding…"

"What about Xinothium? Branwen informed me that you had a supply of it." Brother Blood asked, slightly interrupting.

"Well, it's a very unstable ore…I'm not sure that it would be wise to…and I'm running low in stock…" Blake said defensively, knowing that the question was bound to come, but he didn't want to fabricate something so powerful in a stranger. He could be a mad man, after all…but Blake never had the chance to finish his thought.

"Oh, I'm sure that we can figure out _something_, Blake, after all, nothing is impossible." Blood dictated, his eyes glowing a deep red. Blake's gaze was caught in his hypnotic stare, and he could not look away, he was ensnared just as Branwen was. Suddenly the androids words sounded very convincing, in fact, it was the only solution to Blake. Anything else he considered was implausible now.

"Xinothium would greatly increase the powers and functions related to your artificial limbs and your brain. But I am running low on supplies, I do not have a sufficient source." Blake responded in a daze. Robotic pieces powered by the potent ore Xinothium, inventing something superior and worthwhile using his gifts had always been a dream of his, a fantasy he thought would never come true. Now here was opportunity knocking on his door and he had gone and locked the door and was bracing himself against it, against fate.

As if he had read his mind, Blake was surprised but delighted to hear Brother Blood say in a cool, understandable tone:

"Destiny is knocking, Blake. Can you not hear it? There are other places besides your safe where Xinothium is kept."

Blake nodded and swallowed, then said very seriously:

"What must I do?"

"_Improvise."_

That night, Blake left the shelter of the factory into the labyrinth of the sewer maze; and the others never saw him depart.


	6. A Night to Remember Part 1

_(Author's Notes/Disclaimer for this Chapter: Yeah, this is a very long chapter, and again I apologize to readers for the long lag. If you are reading this and you know you haven't submitted a review yet, please do! Thanks darkkitty for sticking with my story so far, I appreciate it! Yes, Brother Blood is definitely planning something; I assure you I'll make it as malign and clever as possible._

_Ahem! You'll notice that the Opera ahead is packed full of Romeo/Juliet references, so as a chapter disclaimer, I'm announcing that Romeo and Juliet was written by Shakespeare an not myself (the scenario of two young lovers separated by a feud between two personal forces) and I mind as well say here that I don't own the Titans, but I shouldn't have to since this site is for fan fiction only and only a dolt would believe that I have copyrighted the story for myself. _

_And yes, I made up those Tamaranian words, and the Z Games are supposed to be like the X Games in Philadelphia. Part two will include the actual Opera._

_Okay, without further adieu, here is the beginning of chapter 6! )_

**Chapter 6: A Night to Remember **

**Part One: The Invitation**

The Eastern Jump City Mercy Hospital was unconditionally white, from the sleek tiled floors striped gray by the scraping soles of worried people's shoes and trudging medical persons, to the immaculate walls lined with health posters and calming pictures, and the ghostly pale curtains adorning the windows. Even the lights were not the sloppy yellow color you see in schools or libraries, but a pure cloud color, as if this place were the waiting room between heaven and earth. People sat in the lobby reading magazines, or with their heads held submissively in their hands, but the children, who are perhaps the most ignorant to the clashing of fates around them, stood bored, eyeing up sweets in the vending machines or running around the chairs squealing as their parents made a fuss trying to catch them.

In an emergency room that had once been bustling with activity, a moderate quiet blanketed the air save the hum of the oxygen tank or the squirting noise of the IV tube. The four backs of the Titans were encompassing a bed where Beast Boy's weary head was resting on a fluffy white pillow. He was snoring loudly, with a few bandages on his face and his chest practically mummified by gauze wrappings. The doctor's had treated his wounds expertly, and removed every trace of the harmful acid before it could do more damage. Thankfully, he would recover in time, and since he was still growing, they estimated only a small circular scar on his chest over his heart would remain a physical reminder of his deed.

The Titans had spent that Monday in the hospital; watching their fallen member's steady progression with worrisome eyes. They were all equally grieving that the ecstatic and lively Beast Boy was injured to the point of a subdued and fitful state; and Starfire stood feeling heavily guilty for her friends sacrifice, her eyes shining with emotion, while at the same time eternally thankful. The hour was 6:00 pm, and they had gotten little rest since their fight, making each one of them exhausted and irritable from their heads to their toes. Cyborg paced back and forth in front of the window, but instead of doing it out of worry for Beast Boy when he was being operated on, he was now impatient to uphold Robin's promise to Titan's East. The burden of not being there for the novice squad weighed heavily upon the androids shoulders; and he knew he would feel partially responsible if Bumble Bee's team was lacking in clues because they weren't there to assist.

Starfire yawned, careful not to do it disruptively, and stretched with her arms in the air.

"I would very much like something to eat, it is near dinner time. Does anyone wish to join me in the cafeteria?" She offered courteously. Raven stood up from her chair and, after the Tamaranian checked to make sure no one else wanted to accompany her and Raven; departed. Cyborg stopped his pacing and placed a hand on the windowsill, his grip on the smooth metal ledge becoming tighter and tighter. Robin watched this silently behind his friend's back; and when it looked as if the humanoid would crush the ledge, he said curtly:

"Cy', stop before you break it."

Cyborg let go and spun around, his expression clearly reading agitation. Robin walked over to him and then asked quietly, as to not awaken his sleeping comrade:

"What's bothering you so much?"

Cyborg's breathing was heavier and irregular; a very faint thing that only someone with keen eyes such as Robin's would have noticed.

"We were supposed to help the other Titan's investigate for evidence as soon as we were finished with Ternion." He said flatly. Robin was concerned with his friend's attitude; but he also knew the android felt bad for wanting to leave Beast Boy, deep down. He knew he had to be cautious with his words.

"I know you want to go to them and that you're afraid they can't hold together; that they aren't strong enough. I felt the same way when we the original team first formed; but now I know that you just have to trust and have confidence in your teammates. You can't stand behind them forever; you've got to give them the chance to walk on their own." He said. His words did not pacify Cyborg's fretting antics. Instead, the android snapped back:

"You don't understand, they need us, they need me, someone who knows Brother Blood's tricks more than anyone. Without our help, they could just be getting themselves into more trouble. I can't just stand here while that _freak_ is on the loose…"

"Cyborg, there's no need to get edgy-"

"Who says I'm edgy?" Cyborg snarled. Now Robin was sure he knew what the virus was that was enveloping his friend in his strange 'fever': it was a disease he too had had, once, when Slade still lurked in the shadows.

"Are you sure you do not doubt their ability so much as you want to find Brother Blood?"

"Of course not!" Cyborg said, even more irritably. "They're just getting in water too deep to stand in."

"I've said this before: if you become obsessed with finding a criminal; it will consume you and lead you into no good. I really think it would be best that you did not go until they call for back up again." Robin replied to Cyborg gently.

The android couldn't get Bumble Bee's disappointed face out of his head. This only fueled his stress; and soon he became angry when he realized the truth. He _was_ obsessed, completely.

"I just don't know what to do…I need to get some air, it's too cramped in here…" Cyborg muttered, and Robin watched him out of the corner of his eye when he left the room. He sighed heavily and flopped down into a chair, watching the IV fluid slowly drip down the tube. A half an hour passed by; and the Boy Wonder decided it was time to go. He gave Beast Boy one final glance before exiting the room; and the silence lingered.

When Robin found Starfire and Raven in the lobby; he approached them and noticed that his telepathic friend who usually minded her own business was looking at a colorful advertisement brochure; sitting in one of the chairs with her legs casually crossed. Starfire was busy trying to help a little boy get a bag of cookies out of the vending machine without simply blasting a hole in it. He stepped up to Raven's chair as nonchalant as possible and asked:

"What's that?"

Raven flushed slightly under her hood, bringing a tinge of rose to her pallor face, and held it up for him to see. She replied in her soft, calm voice as Robin skimmed over the calligraphy and exquisite pictures of costumes and dramatic scenes: "A new opera is appearing at the Theater of the Performing Arts. My favorite one, actually, though so far I have only read the script."

Robin read in the print that the group of foreign performers would only be there this week; and it was their final tour to America.

"So, what's it about?"

"A love story." Raven half sighed with the palm of her left hand on her chin. This surprised Robin greatly, and he was careful not to let it show, but Raven normally read strange, depressing or dark literature. Then it made sense when he heard her add: "…and a war, between demons and angels."

"And you want to go?"

"I…well, yes, truly. I know that's impossible now with Brother Blood on the loose." She replied dismally, whispering the last sentence as to evade prying ears. Robin frowned inwardly; there were rare times when Raven was willing to do something with the group outside of fighting and daily tasks, and now when she had finally come out of her shell, the opportunity was bleak. Maybe I can make this work out for her… Robin thought to himself.

"Well, we aren't going anywhere without Beast Boy. You can go tomorrow if you want." Robin offered, handing her the brochure back over her shoulder. He sat by her side as she said:

"Won't Cyborg be let down?"

"He'll get over it; he needs to cool down." Robin replied reassuringly. Then, he thought of an idea. "Would you care if all of us went?"

Raven's lips tightened as she thought over it. The opera was special to her; it was a work of art she had been reading ever since she was a teenager, and had provided influence and meaning in her upbringing, just as every other book and scroll was a part of her. Since Beast Boy was asleep, Cyborg was the next in line when she thought of who wouldn't really care for an opera. Starfire would probably enjoy the spectacle rather than the meaning since she wasn't very complacent with earth literature of that magnitude quite yet, and Robin, well; he was open-minded to a lot of things. Perhaps they would enjoy the distraction after their fight with Ternion.

"I'd like for the rest of you to go." Raven replied quietly, clutching the now crinkled brochure to her breast. Then, a new antagonist presented itself, and she frowned. "Robin, how will we get the tickets on such short notice?"

A heavyset man with slicked back hair, a comical black mustache, and a red plump face overheard their conversation and approached them. He had on a lavish tuxedo with a red silk sash around his belly.

"Well if it isn't the mighty courageous Titans themselves! Oh, well, minus two members that is, but I take it they aren't far off." Said the man jovially. Robin, Raven, and Starfire, who had now flipped over the vending machine with her alien strength and was shaking it like one shakes out the last stubborn grains of salt in a shaker (to the child's amazed amusement), looked at him. "Oh! Forgive me, but I couldn't help but overhear you talking about the opera in town. You wish to go?"

Raven nodded accordingly, not knowing what to say. To their surprise, the strange newcomer bowed to them most humbly. "I believe I should back things up a tad. You see; my daughter, Bethany Sanders, was in that particular part of town that tyrant of a monster ravaged, and if it weren't for you five she may have suffered more than a broken arm right about now. I am in debt to you."

"We were just doing our duty, sir. There's no need to bow." Robin told him, shaking his head but smiling, a little flattered.

"You mean Bethany Sanders, daughter of John Sanders?" Raven asked suddenly. The man nodded. "Than that means you…"

"Own the playhouse? Certainly! And to make amends for my boon, I'm inviting you and any of your friends to witness the opera tomorrow night."

It was Raven's turn to be abashed, and she flushed timidly. "That's unnecessary, really…"

"But I insist! Tell you what, I'll even make it box seats." John Sanders said, reaching in his coat pocket for something. "Now where'd I put that blasted…ah! Here it is!" He took out a golden sheet of paper. "This here's an invitation certificate. 'Fraid your party can't exceed 30, but you know, there's only so much room…"

"We'll take it!" Robin said gratefully, before the man offered up his house next. John Sanders handed him the crisp document.

"Thank you so much." Raven breathed as she looked over it. The man waved his hand and smiled.

"No trouble at all, young lady. I look forward to seeing you there. Do keep in mind that we have a strict 'no food, no drink, no animals' policy?" He joked as he walked off surprisingly fast for a man his size.

"I guess that means Beast Boy couldn't come even he wanted to." Raven smirked as she watched Mr. Sanders disappear around a corner.

Starfire reached her arm into the now right-side-up vending machine and fished for the bag of cookies, her tongue peeking out from between her lips in concentration, the little boy jumping up and down with enthusiasm. She smiled as she pulled it out and handed the boy the bag of snacks; who blushed heavily with shyness at her beauty and ran off. She joined Robin and Raven, sitting down, and asked:

"Please, inform me, what is this 'opera' you speak of?"

"Its like a play, only more sophisticated and longer. The characters are well developed and you get easily attached to them. It consists entirely of song; and the music is played by a live orchestra, oh, that's like a band, except they use classical instruments." Robin explained. Starfire gasped and smiled widely; doing a little dance of excitement.

"Like the traditional _k'nugsplat_s played during the festivities of National _Glorftag_ Day on my home planet; the ones that involve using one's toes to string the bottom portion, and using ones hands drum, while blowing into the tube of the upper portion, making a wonderful sound similar to earth whales? It is a glorious sound; and an art on Tamaran."

"Er, yea, just like that, Star." Raven replied shortly, somewhat agog at what else to say. Robin smiled, but it quickly vanished as Cyborg approached them.

"What's up?" He asked as he came over, apparently his mood had returned to normal.

"We are going to an opera tomorrow night!" Starfire announced joyously.

"An Opera? How come?"

"Raven suggested we go; she says it's a once in a life time chance. I hear it's a very famous one as well." Robin told him, hoping the Android would catch the hint in his voice not to be short. Fortunately, he was spared.

"Alright, will I have to wear a suit?" Cyborg asked. "'Cause I'm kinda difficult when it comes to getting fancy and all…"

"We'll figure out something." Raven said, smiling faintly, which made the others happy.

"You can always use Beast Boy as a fur coat." Robin joked, giving into temptation. The others snorted and tried not to laugh. They left the hospital content; with Starfire chattering on and on about Tamaranian music, and Robin keeping a close eye on Cyborg.

In his hospital room, whether from karma or coincidence, Beast Boy groaned as he had nightmares about being worn as a mink coat…

The Titans slept like dead things Monday night; exhausted from their fight Sunday evening and spending a day in the hospital to make sure their friend would pull it through. It was the same Monday that Gwen had pushed aside the manhole for the first time in a long time; and the day Brother Blood hypnotized Blake. A new dawn arose; magenta and purple on the horizon, and with the coming day Cyborg was the first to awaken. He made himself a quick breakfast, zapped some bacon and eggs in the microwave, and shoved the leftovers in the refrigerator before scribbling a quick note down. He had thought deeply before allowing himself to sleep last night, and decided he would spend the day helping Titan's East with anything they might have needed assistance with. He wrote that he'd be back in time for Raven's opera; and apologized for splitting on them, and rationalized that it was just something he felt he had to do. Robin had told him to follow his instincts, and after clearing his head, his instincts told him to go.

The T-car's engine purred like a cat waiting to be given a treat as Cyborg took it onto the highway. It was so early that traffic was scarce, and so he showed the gas pedal no mercy. As he crossed the great bridge leading Steel City, the sunrise peered up on the horizon, and he looked to his left as the great fiery orb arose in the sky, contrasting red against the blue ocean. It was a beautiful thing to see, living on the coast. He rolled down his window despite the cold winter air and inhaled deeply, the smell of a brand new day. He listened to some of his favorite bands on the authentic, one of a kind stereo system, as only a half-computer, half-human could invent.

After tearing up the asphalt for an hour, he reached Steel City. Driving through the white streets splashed with black salt and people scuffling back and forth, he rested his arm on the window and tapped his fingers to the beat of a song. Titan's East loomed in the distance, and he parked the car on the top of the precipice near the great tower before taking the elevator shaft down the cliff to the entrance. He knocked on the front doors, and a little screen next to him buzzed into focus. The scruffy and downright tired face of Aqualad appeared; dark circles under his already black eyes, and Cyborg lowered himself to the screens level and grinned.

"Mornin' sunshiiiiine!" He jeered, mocking Aqualad's haggard expression and waving cheekily.

Aqualad made a face, groaned something, and opened the doors, which slid into the wall with a 'shupth!' noise. Cyborg waltzed in and found Speedy half awake, lounging on one of the couches, the usually accurate archer trying to shove a doughnut in his mouth but it wasn't working out too well. Mas y Menos were sitting at the bar guzzling orange juice and talking fervently in Spanish, but very grumpily. Aqualad was now trying to get himself some breakfast out of the refrigerator; and Bumble Bee appeared to be the only one awake as she walked into the living room with her head held high and her transparent wings folded back with dignity. She shot a quick surveillance glance to the kitchen and across the living room, and spotted Cyborg near the door.

"Hey Sparky, what brings _you_ here so early?" Bee asked huffily; her one hand on her hip. She wasn't going to let him off easy for not helping them; even if they were friends by now.

"How many times to I have to tell you NOT TO CALL ME SPARKY." Cyborg growled dangerously, gritting his teeth. He sat down on one of the sofas near Speedy in his frustration. "We beat Ternion; but Beast Boy got hurt and we had to take him to the hospital. He got banged up pretty bad."

Bumble Bee bit her lip and sat down with him and Speedy. Now you did it, she thought, you picked the wrong time to be annoying. She put on her serious face and folded her arms.

"Cyborg, I'm so sorry; I didn't know." She apologized, looking at him sadly. "Will he be okay?"

"Would I be here if he wasn't? C'mon, Beast Boy can pull through anything. The doctor's say he'll go home in a few days." Cyborg said. Then, he leaned back and put his shoes up on the coffee table. "So, you guys going to continue investigating?"

"No, we've got everything we could get, today we're just training." Speedy mumbled through a mouthful of powdered doughnut. He swallowed and took a huge gulp of milk to wash it all down, then wiped his mouth with the side of his hand.

"Where're the other Titans?" Bumble Bee questioned.

"They have other things they need to get done." Cyborg returned bluntly. To tell the truth, the fight had taken more out of them than they expected, and the rest of the Titans were probably still asleep. "Well, should we get started?"

Bumble Bee led him into a room where the computer was and showed him the little clues that they had found. Torn clothing on the fence, a trail of blood leading into the North Eastern wilderness, and a long black hair was all the evidence they had recovered.

"What's interesting is not the shreds of clothing or the blood, we know who's that is, but the hair." Bumble Bee said as she clicked on a window file to display the black hair and all information attached. "When I asked the guards about it, they said that the other fugitive that helped him escape was a female prisoner they were interrogating for possible murder."

"What's her story?" Cyborg asked as he gazed at the computer screen.

"Apparently it was near the slums. There was a building on fire, and a woman trapped inside. She leapt from her story high above and in mid-air she stopped falling, as if an invisible force had caught her. So the witnesses say."

"The fugitive caught her?"

"Yes. She used some kind of energy field to hold the woman up in thin air and prevent her from falling, but she was recognized as a heavily wanted criminal in the area by the police once they saw her face, and they tackled her, and the woman fell as if the shield popped, to her death." Bumble Bee explained.

"What kind of crimes did she commit to earn a bad rep' with the police?" Cyborg asked. Something didn't quite fit here.

"Petty theft; and starting fights, with the police or whoever." Bumble Bee snorted. "Which means that she was probably some poor girl just trying to make a living in the streets; another victim of poverty. What's interesting is that she isn't the only one."

Bumble Bee brought up a police profile and with a series of clicks had a collage of wanted files. There were no names given, only descriptions and a few outrageous sketch attempts.

"There are 6 of them total. A gang of older teens and young adults known to the authorities as "The Shadow Raiders" because they come at night and steal; then leave before daybreak. They've never stolen anything of great value, just whatever they needed to sustain themselves."

"So what's the big deal, then?"

"The deal is that these aren't just your typical thugs. They each have something wrong with them, or that's what the police say. A few officers that have faced 'em on duty recall that one of them looks like a half woman, half cat. Another officer says that one of them had the most abnormal, unfamiliar weapons he'd ever seen, like something out of a science fiction movie. They say that the leader, Gwen's her name, uses shields to block the bullets while the others grab the goods. Its rumored that one boy can manipulate ice and water. No one knows where their hide out is. They've formed into quite the team." Bumble Bee said grimly. "And you know who has a bad habit of sniffin' out teams."

"Blood." Cyborg muttered under his breath. "You're suggesting that when he and this Gwen escaped, they made some sort of deal that would lead Brother Blood to the gang?"

"Exactly. I'll bet they made a pact in prison when the guards were trying to open the door, her freedom in exchange for access to her team." Bumble Bee said, and shut the computer down. "He could be anywhere in the city. The Shadow Raiders have struck all over the place in the past; and now police haven't seen any suspicious activity since the escape."

"He's going to try and control them, and create a new team of assassins." Cyborg said somberly as they headed out of the room. For a few seconds there was no noise except for the clatter of their shoes on the floor. "How come they couldn't get any information to access their identities?"

"All 6 of their identities have been deleted from the government system." Bumble Bee said, a look of knowledge dawning on Cyborg's face. She couldn't help but smile.

"They have a hacker?" Cyborg guessed. His friend nodded her head accordingly and they entered the living room, where the rest of the team was geared up and ready for training.

Cyborg spent the day helping his friends hone in on their skills and sharpen the ones that needed attention. Aqualad practiced on concentrating his control over water into successful forms that could strike their target with a more potent force, and taught himself a few useful tricks such as creating a thin, slippery sheet of water on the floor, barely visible, that could make enemies slip and slide or even fall down. Bumble Bee practiced her aim with her twin B-shaped electric-pulse guns that were capable of firing stinging bolts of energy. Mas y Menos worked on moving objects using a tornado created from running in circles; and also on their stopping times. Speedy focused on quickening his reactions, such as firing one of his unique arrows after coming out of a flip in mid air where the target could be anywhere, so he had to shoot at odd angles. Even though they still did not know of Brother Blood's whereabouts, the Titans of Steel City felt content after a day of hard work in the advanced gym.

When they had finally finished, they replenished themselves and ate a quick meal. At around 2:30in the afternoon Cyborg prepared to leave, remembering his promise to the others to attend the opera.

"Alright, I gotta get going guys, call me if anything comes up." Cyborg said as he headed towards the door.

"Ay! Por que estas dejando mas temprano? Tu tienes mucho tiempo todavia." Menos asked in fluent Spanish, sitting on the couch and watching previous sports footage of the Z-Games, his brother playing with the white remote with glowing blue buttons idly. The two now looked up at him questionably.

It was times like these that Cyborg was thankful that he could install language programs into his computerized linguistics. He understood what Menos had asked him and replied over his shoulder: "I'm leaving because I promised the others I'd go to something with them; or else I'd stay longer." The two Hispanic twins could understand enough of Cyborg's words to groan with disappointment.

"Where are you going, anyway?" Aqualad asked, trying not to sound nosey, sitting at the counter.

"It doesn't matter, but I have to leave so I can figure out a way to get dressed up without ripping a bunch of rental suits in the process." Cyborg said, the thought of it starting to fluster him. Clothing didn't come easy for someone so robust as himself; Cyborg wore only the armor designed for him.

"I don't think they make tuxedos size 'equator'." Came Bumble Bee's joking, assertive voice as she walked into the lounge past the kitchen. Cyborg turned his head around slowly, his brow coming down in a childish, glowering glare similar to the one he'd given her when they were arguing in the halls of the underwater HIVE facility.

"Ha ha. Very funny." Cyborg grunted. He resumed walking to the door after he said: "It's been fun, but I really have to get going."

"Oh, well, bye then." Bumble Bee said briefly. Was there a hint of letdown in her voice? Cyborg felt another pang of what he assumed was guilt. Speedy, who sat on the couch near Mas y Menos quietly fixing one of his arrow tips, saw Cyborg's face then Bumble Bees, smiled and nodded secretively to himself.

"See ya around, Cyborg. We'll be sure to call you if anything occurs." Speedy told him assuredly; and then added: "Oh, and try and have fun." His words had the effect he wanted, for the android turned around and asked:

"Hey, any of ya'll want to go to the Opera with us on Providence Boulevard?" He exclaimed, and Mas y Menos instantly jumped up, not having any idea what an Opera was.

"Si!" They both whooped, dashing all around the room in an excited whirl. Aqualad tried to calm them down as he chased the speed demon kids, managing to reply a wheezing 'Yes, I'll gladly go'.

"So that's where you guys were headed. Why the Opera House?" Bumble Bee asked, a light shining in her deep auburn eyes.

"Raven invited us to go, its supposed to be really good from I heard, though I'm not really an Opera kinda guy." Cyborg admitted, rubbing the back of his part-computer head. Aqualad stopped chasing the white, red and yellow blur that was the twins running at unfathomable speeds. He took a moment to catch his breath, and then said:

"I'm not one for public events myself. Will we have to get dressed up, too?"

"Yeah, it's a rule of theirs." Cyborg said, and then an idea hit him. "Okay, I just figured out what I'm going to wear. Can you meet us at the T-Tower around 3:45?"

"3:45?" Bumble Bee exploded, regaining her pushy attitude and buzzing her wings in frustration. "That only gives me, like, a half an hour to get ready. I've got to pick out a dress, put make up on; fix my hair! Geeze! It's a good thing we all got showers before Cyb-stein decided to let us in on the fun…"

The others shook their heads and went to get ready; Mas y Menos confused between what they were supposed to wear and why Bumble Bee had been so angry. Cyborg drove off in a hurry to the T-Tower; many emotions he thought he'd never feel swirling in the least of places he'd expect it: his heart.


	7. A Night to Remember Part 2

_(Author's Notes: This was an unacceptably LONG period of time where I haven't posted. I am very sorry to everyone who's been reading this and waited patiently for my post. Understand that I tried to summarize the Opera in great detail, and to write out the actual thing would make it a story within a story, and get me too off track. I promise that chapter seven will come quicker; it's just that I've been busy with school and life._

_A quick note about the storyline so far, consider this whole thing the rough draft. After I get about halfway I'm going to go back and edit the chapters to make them more appealing and improve them. Please RR about this chapter and others if you haven't yet so I know what to fix. Thanks!)_

**Chapter 7: A Night to Remember **

**Part Two: War of Souls**

The occupants of Titans Tower were in a flustered rush to get ready so they wouldn't be late for attendance. Starfire dashed from the living room to her quarters and back on numerous instances, as she kept forgetting all sorts of truthfully unnecessary things (including scissors, a cup, and a toothbrush), Robin had to pull her away for fear that her tiny handbag would burst at the seams. Starfire, Raven and he were waiting in the living room by the tiny table before the giant entertainment system, none of them sitting for fear of putting wrinkles in their outfits. They were waiting for the Titans of Steel City to arrive as Cyborg dressed in his room; Robin tapping his foot impatiently, Raven turning the richly golden invitation document over in her hands, and Starfire gazing out the window passively at the bright lights of the city being obscured in the glassy, dark ocean waters, wriggling snakes of yellow and white surrounded by wavering fireflies.

The Tamaranian princess' fiery red hair was pulled back into a tight bun on the back of her head, held together with a clasp and two black 'chop-sticks' with a silver, floral Asian design along the sides protruding from the center of the bun. Two locks of her hair hung near the sides of her face, taking the shape of her cheeks. Around her neck was the familiar silver collar she wore that ran across her shoulders, her collarbone, and across her back, with the emerald-colored gem in the center below her neck. Her dress was sleeveless, the silver collar holding it in place, fitting her maturing body very well yet modestly. The cloth was a medium orchid color, and the end came down past her ankles where she wore purple heels similar to her fighting boots (though without the bold metal lining). Two silver bangles were clamped around her upper arms, a traditional Tamaranian trend, and from these came a transparent violet cloth that dipped like a vine and connected to the wrist portion of her elbow-length gloves, the same color as her dress, glittering in the light. She clutched a small white purse (now considerably lighter when Robin persuaded her to remove a few things) and fiddled with the daisy-shaped zipper obliviously, gazing pensively out the large glass window.

Robin glanced at Starfire secretly from behind him; and his heart fluttered for just a moment when he really looked at her for the first time that evening. The outfit was very strikingly beautiful, and the way her hair was pulled back, exposing her slender neck where the collar wasn't there, was almost intimidating. Robin himself looked extremely handsome and, to his amusement, proper, as if he had suddenly aged ten years but only in style. He was clad in the same black tuxedo he had worn when he was forced to a prom date with the narcissistic, devious and spoiled Kitten, a slightly less entertaining event to be sure. This evening he had a black cape draped around his shoulders, giving him a mysteriously dark but sharp look, for it was near freezing outside when he checked the thermometer. His eye mask added to the 'mysterious stranger' effect by concealing his identity; and overall he cut an imposing, refined figure. His jet-black hair was slicked back in a most sultry but still sophisticated way. Robin took out a silver, antique watch with the company name 'Wayne Enterprises' engraved on the back from his pocket and checked it; as if he were some gentleman on Time Square looking for the hour when his lover would meet him from out of the mists. He was a spitting image of his Father; the one he had left behind but not forgotten in Gotham.

Raven set the invitation down on the table in front of the couches and sighed slightly. What was the hold up? She was beginning to think it was a mistake for Cyborg to have invited the other Titans from Steel City. She told herself not to worry; that she was beyond self-afflicting states such as worrying. It would only make her feel worse to fret; after all. She spotted her dim reflection in the glass window and pretended to stare out, when really she was staring in, at herself. While she was usually discretely serene and concealed behind the folds of her blue cloak and hood, tonight was a different exception and so she wore a formal, short dress.

It was made of midnight velvet, and came across her legs at a diagonal slant from the center of her left thigh, ruffled in a graceful wave, the inside lining of it inky silk. The top portion was very corset-like in the fact that it was a lighter charcoal in color; attached to her chest with thin shoulder straps. It made a 'V' at the bottom where her hips were, similar to a garment that a medieval woman would have worn in the days of old. Silver and black-laced ribbon cascaded down the center of it in 'X' patterns, tying at the top fork of her bosom into a simple bow. A black, meshed flower pattern was embroidered on the corset, and on the actual velvet dress many threaded ravens were stitched in open flight. Her pale skin contrasted deeply with the dress, she toned this down with black gloves on her hands with the familiar red gem on the back encased in a silver, circular clasp. She also wore the belt of red gems around her waist, tilted the same angle as the slit in her dress. Her shoes were simple black ankle boots, wide where her shins drew into them and making her ankles look exceptionally skinny. She was quite amused with herself; and tied a non-hooded black tunic around her shoulders to pass the time.

She tore herself away from the window as the sound of footsteps and a few voices rang out; the Titans of Steel City had finally arrived and were approaching. Now all they had to do was wait for Cyborg. She felt sympathy for him; after all, it is difficult to face oneself in the mirror when one is trying to change into something he or she _once_ was.

Cyborg emerged from his room feeling the same; but his appearance had taken a dramatic change. All of his computerized limbs and armor were not removed, but completely unseen behind holographic cloaking technology, a special ability given to him with the power of two rings he wore on each hand. He looked like any other human male his age, although broad-shouldered and muscular, a physique that rivaled many athletes. He wore a suit from a memory, just as Robin had, although he dared to say that his memory was fonder. It was the light-steel blue suit he had worn to the dance when he was an undercover agent in the old HIVE academy upholding the alias 'Victor Stone'; the school had hosted an open party (well, actually is more of a clandestine operation behind Brother Blood's back, but Cyborg didn't have the stomach to think about him at the moment), and he and a female student, Jinx, an old enemy of the Titans, had danced unrivaled, of course with her lacking the knowledge that he was, in fact, Cyborg at the time. He made his way to the living room; expecting nothing but a few looks and comments from his friends with their warm smiles to comfort him.

To his surprise, the rest of the Titans, including the Steel City bunch, were too busy chatting to notice him right away (to his relief). He stepped in as nonchalantly as he could; and for once his efforts were successful, or it would have been, for Bumble Bee, whose former-spy eyes were always on the lookout, spotted him easily. He became momentarily stunned when he saw her, in a long gown as it was expected, but starkly more elegant than her usual rough and jaunty look of a black and yellow striped shirt, black leather pants and boots. The trim of her dress trailed on the floor slightly behind her, made of a black material that glittered and flashed in the light, but dimly as to not avert the eyes. She held the hem of her dress up from dragging on the floor and walked over to him, an equal look of astonishment playing across her features. Her hair was done in the same pigtail buns she wore day-to-day, but with two gold barrettes fastening them, a pair of small dangling earrings, a few gold bracelets, and a necklace (a band that ran around the very bottom of her neck) that matched. Her hyalineinsectwings were tucked in against her back, a shade of deep red lipstick bringing out the whiteness in her teeth as she smiled and said:

"_There_ you are. The others were beginning to think that you weren't coming."

"I came." Cyborg replied, shrugging. He could feel her gaze burning holes through him, and she the same as he stared back unflinching. Before anything else could be fired between them; Robin said:

"Is everyone ready? We have to leave now or we'll be late."

They all walked outside, prepared to squish into the only two cars that were capable of reaching the island (one of which was the T-car), when an early 1900's-style ferry chugged past the island with several figures flailing their arms and attempting to get their attention. They looked as the ferry came near and, sure enough, it was John Sanders waving furiously to them; with a few other lavishly dressed and red-faced people, and a teenage girl with long brown hair and clad in a robin's eggshell-blue dress. One of her arms was in a cast; and Raven recognized her as Bethany. John grabbed a megaphone and yelled very friendly:

"Hallo, Titans, quite a group you've got there! Why don't you join us instead of fighting the traffic? We're headed to the old port near Providence Boulevard."

They all exchanged glances, Mas (in a white tuxedo with a red rose) and Menos (in a black tuxedo with a white rose) jumping up and down excitedly. Aqualad, in a black suit with a dark blue tie that made him practically disappear into the night, frowned as he saw several garbage items that looked like party favors bobbing in the water behind the ferry. Speedy, wearing a black tuxedo similar to Robin's (they had a lot in common as far as costumes went, even sharing the same eye mask); shook his red head (which was gelled back rather frustratingly for the occasion, giving 'slick' a new meaning) when he saw the partiers cheering and waving somewhat stupidly. Apparently some rich and powerful people weren't as dignified as the others, a few of them holding up frothing bottles of expensive golden champagne in crystal glasses and singing.

"Won't we be late?" Cyborg yelled, realizing what time it was. The show started in 15 minutes…

"Nonsense! They can't start without me!" John Sanders chuckled, and beckoned for them to board as a platform was lowered to the island. With a few shrugs, the Titans boarded the ferry and headed towards Western Jump City, where the only original part of the city lay unscathed. They were welcomed warmly; the regular chatter instantly rising into a storm of talkative voices. Many of the men wanted to meet Starfire; and as she was swarmed by the crowd, Robin pulled her out of the circle, but did so subliminally as to not offend anyone, he took her arm in his and led her away to the punch bar. Raven became flustered instantly with all of the people cluttering the area; she was clearly not a party person. Bethany Sanders approached her near the starboard side of the boat and peered over the balcony at the rolling waves and hissing sea spray.

"Thank you for saving the city. If you hadn't stopped that monster, I don't know what would have happened. " Bethany said; her voice softened but proper from her pristine upbringing. Her clean, sleek brown hair was blowing in the breeze, the nearly full moon shining milky light down on her.

"Your welcome. We were just doing our job." Raven replied over the noise of the waves and the people, not to mention the live band playing that looked and sounded like a scene taken from the Titanic, a spirited violin cascading across her ears. She looked ahead wistfully towards the city and breathed easy as she gazed up at the stars, as plentiful as there were snowflakes in a blizzard and as sharp and luminous as diamonds cast across a blue-black blanket. She wished they would just get there already so she could sit down in the comforting dark and not have to be in the spotlight with all the others. Bethany seemed to read this on her face and said:

"We should reach our destination in another ten minutes. After that, we shall walk off the docks and down Providence Boulevard until we reach the theater. It is right near the great cathedral and mountainous old scholar library, the cities two most ancient structures. Wondrous structures, they are, I have taken a great liking to them. Father says that commoners are not allowed in the library, that's how old the books are, but I want everyone to be admitted to enjoy them. He really does bother me when he acts so snobby sometimes…"

Raven only nodded and stepped away from the side of the boat. She was beginning to feel a twinge of seasickness and gulped down a few deep breaths. A mildly prissy girl like Bethany seemed a rare jewel among all of the dry and conceited people around her. Perhaps she had been humbled by the incident with Ternion. For her father to act as if she had only fallen down the stairs instead of nearly losing her life in a crisis, that chewed on Raven's nerves terribly. There he was, jabber jawing away with all of the people about the state of the slums and how the 'street rats' begged him for change, how annoying it was. She scoffed and walked away from everyone, wrapping her cloak around her.

Mas y Menos were happily drinking punch, Aqualad making sure that they were virgin beverages and not spiked.

"You two are going to have to go to the bathroom every five minutes if you keep guzzling it like that." Speedy warned as he walked by, a few of the spectators observing them and laughing. What silly foreign boys they were; not at all like Americans but odd, they thought stuffily as they sipped their champagne. Mas looked at Menos, and then they both looked at Speedy as he walked away, and snickered in good humor despite the mean jeers they were receiving behind their backs.

"He's right, you're on your own if Raven kills you for getting up during the show." Aqualad said and headed off, shooting the onlookers a dreadful glare that was highlighted by his dark eyes with their white pupils, causing a few shudders as he walked by. The ferry was going to dock soon; he knew the waters around Jump City better than any aquatic fish or marine biologist.

"So, Mr. Cyborg, is it? What exactly are your powers?" John Sanders asked the incognito humanoid as he stood near the balcony. Something about the man's voice was very nosey, and very uptight like a lot of the guests once a person got to talk to them.

"I…well, I can do lots of things." Cyborg replied bluntly. "For one thing, I have super strength."

"Yes, but why do they call you Cyborg?" A middle-aged woman in all fur questioned. She wore a lot of ridiculous jewelry, and the half man, half computer hybrid found himself greatly agitated.

"Guess its just because he's good with computers, too." Came Bumble Bee's brass-bell voice, turning their attention away. The woman took one glace at the girl's wings and wrinkled her nose. Cyborg twitched, waiting for Bee to snap something nasty or sly in the woman's face, but to his surprise she put on her best fake smile, similar to the one she'd used when asking Brother Blood if she could become a member of HIVE, and stood by his side.

"There are some private matters that he and I need to discuss about a crime we are investigating. Would you excuse us, please?" Bumble Bee asked delicately. The woman nodded and walked off, leaving the smell of stingy perfume behind. John Sanders smiled, but it was not a normal smile, it was one that read 'Remember to mind your manners, or I'll ruin it for all of you, and I'm only doing this because you saved my daughter's life'. He too waltzed away, in a very fast manner that both of them found weird and entertaining at the same time.

"Thanks." Cyborg said with relief once everyone was out of hearing range.

"Nah, it was nothing. I know how degrading it can be when snotty people are asking pushy questions. How do you think I made it past all of the instructors at HIVE?" She said, smiling slightly and waving a hand. Cyborg questioned this at first, but then realized that a few people were staring at them from not too far off, and she was making it seem like they were talking about something appropriate for a boat party through her looks and gestures. He went along with the act and smiled, pointing out of context to the overhanging lantern lights on the wires and nodding. A few of the guests went back to their own conversations, shooting the occasional side-glance.

"I don't think I like these people very much; now that I've got to talk with some of them." Cyborg said in a low voice.

"I am afraid I must acquiesce." Came Starfire's voice as she neared them from further down the edge of the balcony. "They complimented me on my dress; but when I spoke to them, and they did ask me many strange things, they gave me funny looks and one man said that my English was worse than a operator of a truck?"

"These people are out of touch with reality, Star, don't take it personally." Cyborg told her blatantly, and she smiled lightly. Bumble Bee shook her head in dismay, and they all walked to the platform when the ferry had docked at last. Despite their now unpleasantly ruled company, the Titans marveled at the sights they saw before them.

The docks were made of heavy timber from when the city was first built in the old days when settlers had first reached their area. Aged sailboats and gnarled fishing vessels, their white sails drooped and rolled up for the night, slept in their harbor spaces deathly quiet with nothing but wind rippling through the nooks and cracks. As the company marched across the wide dock, the planks creaked underneath their feet, and they were supported by dark buoys that bobbed upon the surface of the bumpy water like hippos. When the party reached the end of the dock, they stepped onto Providence Boulevard, the oldest road in the city where no cars were allowed.

They treaded across ragged cobblestones onto a chipped granite sidewalk, and tarnished, black street lamps cast upside-down cones of yellow light onto the street, forcing back the shadows vividly. It was not so much the road that was impressive, but the architecture looming around them.

The Titans that lived with Raven knew that she wasn't an open book that could be read by anyone; and the only person that had a vague idea of her past life was their leader Robin himself. The shadow witch was either in her room meditating, scrying into the depths of a mirror or her dusty scrolls, stargazing on the roof, or nose-deep in a book thicker than the skull of Beast Boy's ram form. Now, as Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg shot the occasional glance at her, they noticed the purple-haired introvert looking around like a child in a toy-store, overtaken by so many sights that she couldn't stay on one for long before wanting to look at the next. They came to realize through the buildings and their designs that they were an expression of Raven's soul that she had long been wanting to share with them, but didn't know how until tonight.

The structures about them were made of a dark gray blocks, wreathed in shadows, supported by great Roman pillars and topped with many gothic European spires and turrets. Winged gargoyles, whose forms were that of valiant eagle-faced and lion-bodied griffons, three-headed chimera's; or fell demon creatures with bat-like wings and piggish, fanged faces with dragon spikes and forked tails, sat in crouched positions guarding their citadels with pride and judgment. Robin was greatly reminded of Gotham; but Gotham's architecture was always changing, _this_ remained untainted. The windows of the cathedrals, libraries, banks, and universities that they trudged by were made of beautiful stained glass, sleek with the white moon and stars, and lit from inside by flickering candles brought to life for some unknown vigil. Every Titan was humbled by the old buildings, which loomed above them like protective but scornful elders. They were awed under the piercing stare of the gargoyle eyes.

The rest the people whispered and admired the structures, and Bethany took her father's arm and spoke with him quietly about something or other, gesturing to windows and doors. Mas y Menos clung to each other nervously, each of them avoiding the stare of the gargoyles, and shivering from the cold that got under their skin.

"Estos edificios no estan semejante de los edificios en Espana. Estas imponente y u poco temeroso." Menos whispered in his brother's ear; who nodded in agreement and gulped when he saw a bat flittering alarmingly on its way into a bell tower. It was clear that even though their homeland had ancient buildings and churches, they were not as imposing as the ones on this street, at least not at night. Aqualad, whose city of Atlantis was one of impressive though timeworn construction, marveled at the land dwellers craftsmanship. Speedy took interest in display cases of some of the windows, a few of them sporting suits of armor and swords, and to his amusement, wooden bows and arrows. It was like going back in time, to the days were magic and myth were believed to be very real and were revered or hated. Raven lived for those days, even though she was stuck a few centuries ahead, she gazed at the history almost as if recalling a second life.

At last they reached a square where a colossal edifice, its columns and stonework encasing a massive, convex glass dome about half the size of a football stadium, topped with a brass, perched eagle and American flag at the paramount flapping in the night winds. When they approached the doorstep, they had to pass two great Chinese dragons; their blood red claws clenching mystical orbs and royal manes chiseled to signify a breeze blowing through them. The Titans climbed three sets of marble stairs, each stone carved with different languages and texts, a mimic of sort of the Tower of Babble. John Sanders stood in front of two large wooden doors that looked to have been designed by Vikings, and spread his arms for silence, a tradition he followed the night of every great performance. Raven held her breath; it would be only moments before she could enter. Bumble Bee traced a finger over one of the inscriptions in a glossy stone fence post; listening to everything, though it didn't appear that way. A year or two of staying undercover at a potentially deadly academy made a person move secretively; for inside they were would always expect to see danger around every corner.

"Ladies and gentleman, honored friends and respected guests, tonight is not only another superb night at the Theater of the Performing Arts. We are about to witness a drama that has been critically acclaimed in Europe and is now brought to us for the first time. As we walk through these doors tonight, I would like you all to try and remain silent and enjoy the wonders around us as we anticipate this momentous debut." John Sanders announced, puffing out his chest. Bethany rolled her eyes, knowing that he would be blabbing to one of his friends in only moments. The women in the crowd fanned themselves (for style only, even though it was chilly out) and glanced at their husbands behind the ornate paper folds, and the men crossed their arms politely and did not show their impatience to get out of the cold.

"I wish he'd just let us in already." Cyborg grumbled, careful that Raven wouldn't hear. He looked at her, and found that she was reading the languages on the floor, moving her lips silently and smiling as she recognized some society's anthem.

At last the wooden doors were opened, and they stepped into a great hall that was lavishly decorated with the art of many countries and regions. There were Japanese lanterns with the ink brush calligraphy painted on them (no doubt the they were phrases of virtue or proverbs, maybe even prayers), and silk screens placed where certain corridors were prohibited, each with a neatly depicted scene from nature with herons, finches, and cranes perched on trees heavy with blossoms. There were warm-colored Tuscan designs printed on the walls, ivory tables and pillars sporting Indian animals running up and around them like a cyclone made of a carousel that broke the bonds of gravity, jade Chinese statues of warriors on horseback, Mexican skeletons and bright cloths hanging in certain areas as reminders of 'El Dia De Los Muertos', or the Day of the Dead, meant to honor and remember ancestors, there were Egyptian hieroglyphics carved into gilded pillars (pictographs of Gods, phoenixes, and Pharaohs), European woodwork, a few Spanish pillars and halls lined with bullfighting artifacts and models (that Mas y Menos instantly started talking about, wishing to go down those halls, but Bumble Bee pulled them away in time) and so much more that would take up too much space to name. The Titans reveled in the majesty of it all, with Raven in the front and pointing our various objects and describing their origins like a living encyclopedia. Robin was very impressed at her vast knowledge of cultures; and Cyborg himself could not have found more information in his computer scanners. Some things were meant to be archived by the human cerebrum alone.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity walking in moderate silence down the great hall, they were led into a circular room that clearly hosted the mega-dome above them. It was unlike any theater that they had ever seen; and Raven had only peered at pictures of it in books, scratchy, non-detailed scholar pen grafts. When they were entering, Raven gave a skinny man in a black suit with a long, curly black moustache and glinting black eyes her certificate of invitation and he approved of everyone, tipping his hat to the ladies. Starfire smiled and tipped some gentleman's hat beside her, since she lacked one herself, and didn't notice the dirty look she'd received. Now they were attempting to find their seats in the chaos of the crowd, and Robin observed his surroundings. It was much like a football stadium in the fact that the seats went around the stage instead of facing it in one direction. The further back, the higher the seats, and what he guessed the most expensive. The theater was lit by delicate glass chandeliers that lined the higher walls of the chamber right before evidence of the dome began; and shadows cast by people walking under them stalked the seats below.

"Where do we sit?" Bumble Bee asked, looking every which way. They weren't sure whether to go further down into the pit near the stage or up.

"We have box seats, section B." Raven said, and eventually spotted a portion of the upper layer of seats that was labeled 'B' on a gilded plaque. They headed around a good distance, climbed a flight of stairs and sat down. The seat cushions were made of comfortable, royal red velvet with golden designs of leaves and vines. As everyone else found his or her seat, Starfire peered over the polished mahogany balcony to get a better look below her. She could see the tops of people's heads, and her eyes traveled further down the little slope towards the giant center stage, and she squinted. Speedy joined her in looking down towards the circular center stage (which was covered with plain white tiles) and asked:

"If these are good seats, then why don't we have a better view of the stage? It looks the people below us will have a better time seeing than we will." He asked; and if Speedy's honed eyes weren't able to see well, none of them could.

"We'll find out; wont we?" Raven returned smugly and drew her cloak over her crossed legs, watching the stage intently. Their little box had a few extra seats behind them; and no one would occupy that space during the entire Opera. The more vertically challenged of the Titans sat in the front row, consisting of Mas y Menos, Speedy, and Aqualad (even though they wre tall, they wanted to supervise the twins in case they started mischief). Starfire moved to sit with next to Robin and Raven, so she could consult them in case she had a question, and Cyborg and Bumble Bee sat near the aisle. Each box was separated by a wall; and the Titans were at the topmost rounded layer, the bottom three layers for the cheaper seats, the bottommost layer still a great height and distance from the center stage. If a bird were to fly above in the dome's airspace, the chamber may have looked like a bulls-eye, the white tiled stage being the center. Aqualad watched as Mr. Sanders, Bethany and a few of what he assumed were close friends sat across from them in box H.

At last the grand lights dimmed and from high up a shaft of yellow light poured down from the darkness above and lit a small portion of the stage; where a skinny man stood in front of a microphone. Robin and Cyborg could only guess that there were some special effects technologies built at the top of the dome, but strangely they had yet to see anything. Perhaps it came out of the walls when the lights were dimmed. Speedy peered closely at the stage and recognized the man as the ticket collector. There was a deathly quiet in the vast theater; until the man spoke in a clear, slow voice that could only remind the Titans of a wizard:

"I bid all of you a fair welcome on this wintry evening; and thank each of you for attending the performance tonight. This Opera is a recreation of an ancient story told since the days when people believed in ethereal beings that served as guardians from above and devious catalysts from the depths below. I am sure that you noticed the magnificent gargoyles as you journeyed here; and I tell you now that they represent those beings that our ancestors believed to have watched us and oversaw our existence. They knew to be, not one dimension that effected them, but three: the physical world bound by gravity, space and time about them, they knew a world of bliss, light and air above them, and feared a world of fire, strife and chaos below them. The two new worlds I speak of were known as 'Heaven' and 'Hell', or the second one also acquired the name of 'The Abyss'. The human world was simply the material world, ruled by objects and desires. In Heaven, the beings of light known as Angels existed, living, though they were not bound by age nor sickness, in peace and wisdom. In Hell, the race of darkness, known for their cruelty but also their cunning, were called Demons."

Upon the eerily deep utterance of that final word, the man disappeared as the light vanished, and to the Titan's amazement the center stage became alive, but in a way unlike any Opera they had ever seen or heard of. The circular, disc-like stage lit up with a pale white light, and from above the huge dome shined down more light in a brilliant column, which was dim at first, then grew gradually intense so that they had to squint, and when the light cleared they could see what appeared to be real golden clouds spread before them. Mas y Menos gasped and looked down to see if they could spot the people below them, but they could not. The only thing they saw was the brilliant, fluffy clouds; rolling endlessly into each other.

"What is it?" Bumble Bee breathed; gazing up trance-like into the azure sky the dome created, finer than any clear blue summer day she'd ever seen. There was no sun, but light shined forth from everywhere, making tiny specs of dust motes sparkle as they floated in the air.

"I don't know; I think it's all holograms, but that light is unlike anything I've ever seen." Cyborg said under his breath. He swore he could smell the fresh air; feel a soul-cleansing breeze.

Robin wasn't quite positive that holograms were exactly what it was, and Speedy and Aqualad seemed to be brooding over it as well. Eventually the Atlantian kicked back and waited for the rest of the story to move along, sighing to himself as he gazed into the sky that almost envied the deep brine of the ocean. Almost. Speedy quit trying to discern where the source of the images was coming from and relaxed as well. Raven simply watched calmly, her legs crossed and her arms resting on the chair arms. Starfire gaped, mesmerized, and didn't say a word. At last they heard the Ticket Man's voice again, but it sounded far away.

"_This is Heaven, the place of Angels, where all dwell in ivory and crystal palaces, eat from bountiful and lush gardens, and drink from pure and revitalizing fountains_."

Music entered the space when the man's voice was gone, a grand orchestra of numerous parts, starting out low and faint, as if it were not music at all but a cavalry of horses approaching, with whispers of human vocals keening softly; then growing louder as the sound of hoof beats would have boomed across the earth. Voices of men and women, souls that none could see, sang out verses that the Titans could not understand, but feel it in their hearts, for the music sank through the skin and left chills of amusement in their veins. Soon, the group of young fighters were taken away into a dream, forgetting all that lay in their once waking memory. The field of clouds began to move; giving the image that one was rolling along with them, like a dolphin in the sea, up and down in the gold and blue. Soon the clouds dipped into a wide valley, and the vision rocketed down the steep slope as if it were a roller coaster, and surprisingly wind blew in their faces, but whether it was an illusion or actual wind, they could not tell.

They saw vast forests whose elegant trees peaked at heights unlike any earth tree, whose branches beckoned and emerald leaves shining. As the vision flew across a silver river, which meandered through the valley at wide curves, they could see flocks of pure white birds, most likely doves, traversing the air in ever-changing formations. Fish with long, sleek bodies leapt out of the water for pure joy, their fins long and flowing with a transparent crimson or viridian tone. Finally the forest ended, but the land was still green and plentiful, and the clouds rose up in great masses on either side of the horizon like mountains. It was as if the earth, when it was once young and untainted, had drifted into a nebula of never ending summer.

The valley narrowed and the walls of cloud rose about them into a canyon as they sailed onward with the river as their guide. Then, it widened again into a great crater, where the walls were clustered with stairways and bridges, pavilions and homes. Everything was made of thick crystal, which reflected the hue of the sky. Many homes had trees and bushes in their yards, colorful flowers on the windowsills and along paths. Waterfalls cascaded down the sides of the cloud walls, sometimes spilling into ponds, and other times joining the river at the bottom, which now gathered into a glassy lake. There were no shadows here.

The vision rose upward once reaching the opposing wall, where the water's edges ended, perhaps it flowed under the clouded walls. When they reached the top, a great courtyard lay before them, lined with the dazzling, fruiting trees and blooming shrubberies on either side. A palace made of crystal and white ivory rose in the distance, its spires not spiked or foreboding, but spiraled and rounded. There were many holes in the main towers, but not the slender arrow loops used for archers in medieval times on earth, these were far larger, big enough for a person to fit through. They flew over the outer wall and gazed below them as the vision circled and descended as a bird would have done. There were many grand buildings and paths, and more trees and plants that shone brightly in the light and swayed in the breeze.

The vision went awkward for a moment, and the Titans realized they were falling through the central building, where they landed in a vast hall. At the very end, two grand thrones were set, made of crystal and carved with angelic plant and animal designs. Now the Titans could see many figures bustling about the great hall, all clad in elegant colors of mainly white, gold and silver. All of these divine beings had two large, heavily feathered wings tucked behind their backs, and some wings were white, sleek black, and others a deep brown. The women were all beautiful in their own way, some in flowing white gowns with long hair falling down their backs, often entwined with decorative flowers or beads. Other women wore long, belted shirts that served as tunics and silver or gold armor across their shins, arms and chests, many had swords or daggers attached to their belts, something the Titans found out of place. The men were all fit and lively, as individual as the women, most of them had short hair but others had long (some straight, others slightly curly), and they had divine symbols tattooed on their strong arms and backs. Some of them wore tunics and leather boots, along with a belt or sash, a few of the men surrounding the thrones wore white robes and looked to be priests or mages. They often wore plain brass bangles around their wrists, and the soldiers wore arm, chest, leg, and shoulder armor. The voice of the Ticket Man sounded out over the now softened music, which was courteous and proper sounding, and he said:

"_This is the throne room of the great Castle Prospera; of the Kingdom of Solace. Here sits the noble King Brian, Lord of all Angels, and his equally imperial Queen Julia, Empress of all Angels. They rule with a just and steadfast lead in their world, and their subjects praise them greatly for their righteousness. They have had authority over everything in their kingdom for many gilded centuries; and despite their vigor they are thousands of years old. They have one cherished daughter by the name of Diana, who would be considered ancient in our world, but in their eyes she is but still an adolescent."_

From a corner a young woman with long, braided brown hair and vivid green eyes with fair skin stepped gracefully into the room out of a hallway in the corner. The cloth of her gown waved and rippled as she walked; and there was stubbornness in her stride. Her face was pretty like the rest of the women, but she had a sly look always on her face, with a few freckles dotting her cheeks. She stepped before her parents, the circle of other angels (a mix of men and women, priests, sorceresses, citizens and soldiers) breaking to let her through, and she bowed curtly before speaking. The Titans could not hear what she was saying, but only saw her mouth moving and her parents expressionless. Queen Julia had wavy brown hair tied back into a long ponytail with a golden band, and her gown was layered and opulent. Her eyes were warm and kindly, a deep auburn. Across her forehead was a thin golden crown taken to the shape of intertwining vines and lined with gems. King Brian had short brown hair and a stubble of a goatee (neatly trimmed), with a face as equally kind and understanding as his wife's, but his eyes were sharp and pierced the spirit like a falcon's.

"_The Golden Age of the Angels, after centuries of watching over the mortals on earth and guiding them down paths of prosperity, had come to an abrupt end on the day of Diana's birth. The priests had predicted in the stars a great destiny for the child; and prophesized that when she came of age, she would rule over all worlds once and for all. It was on that fateful day when the Demons celebrated the birth of their own new monarch, a prince that their sorcerer's announced would overthrow the Angels and gain control of all universes. Both sides received news of each other's prophecy, and the Demons were as enraged as the Angels were disgusted. The King of the Demons declared that when his infant son grew into a full-fledged Demon, he would kill all of the Angels, burn and pillage their world, and show no lenience. King Brian took the threat with a heart of fire, and he returned that his Angels would scourge the Abyss of all of its rotting creatures once and for all should the Demons ever try. It wasn't long after before both races declared war on one another, and the Demons were the first to strike. A band of Angels was flying through the darkened skies of earth one day, across the dreary Atlantic Ocean, and the Demons rose from the dark waters and attempted to murder them. All but one Angel escaped, and when he returned to Solace, King Brian was deeply saddened and his wrath caused the Heavens to thunder. Now, many bloody, harrowing fights have broken out across the official battlefield of this otherworldly feud: the Earth herself. No Angel or Demon was born without being taught how to combat, and both sides have now suffered incalculable casualties, but their hatred for each other was the most potent of dangers. The mortal realm is wracked by disaster's caused by the colliding forces, including earthquakes, plagues, fires, floods and tornadoes."_

As the Ticket Man spoke, the stage shifted and showed the audience a stormy ocean with a group of Angels flying high in the dark sky, their wings spread wide. The Titans could smell the salt of the sea and the electricity in the air, and shivered at the unfriendly nip of a chill wind on their faces. The vision moved up swiftly to show them the Angels at a close angle, there were about fifteen of them, all beautiful and poised, but with a hint of regal ferocity. Then, very sharply, the vision fell from the dizzying height and sank at water level. From the black, heavily rocking waves a large score of Demons sprang up, too disguised by the weather to discern appearances, but the music became dark and foreboding, and the Titan's held their breath as bat-winged people flew at deadly speeds from the water, and slammed into the Angels.

There was no sound of clashing, of wings flapping or cloth tearing, but the Angels yelled and the Demons screamed as the orchestra spun deafening tunes of conflict and strife (which included dramatic clangs of symbols whenever claws raked across flesh or swords tore at wings like scissors unto paper). The lightning that streaked corpse-eye white across the storm clouds brought bone-rattling thunder with it, and though the Titans could withstand noises such as this, in the unseen audience below them, a few people covered their ears in fear. The fight was brutal, and often the stage would zoom out and show only winged things darting madly back and forth, crashing into each other then separating and repeating that process, resembling a group of quarreling owls and bats. No matter what the view, the Titans felt like they were right in the middle of the battle. When the vision zoomed back in, it was a terrible thing to watch, but beautifully executed. The frightening Demons flew out of the walls above them, so the Titans could feel the gusts from their horrid wing beats and the shadows pass over them, and the Angels flew to meet them with weapons drawn. Soon, more than just rain and blood fell from the sky, as bodies plummeted down; down towards the sea far below, turning into dust as their lifeless forms struck the water. More Demons were left than Angels, and before long only two of the victimized species were left, and they darted into the clouds for cover. Alas, the Demon's gaze pierced all darkness, and they hunted the escapee's, until one Angel was overtaken and her friend flew ahead, the other Angel without knowledge of his friend's peril in the confusion. While the Demons cruelly dealt with the lingering Angel, the last one flapped his mighty wings into the distance, defeated.

The Titans watched as they saw the last Angel brought before his monarch's on a device that looked like a stretcher, and he spoke with his King and Queen about the terrible ambush. Kind Brian stood from his throne, opened his wings, flew outside through one of the holes in the nearby towers, and bellowed at the sky as he landed before an altar with sunlight streaking down. He kneeled and rested his head in the nook of his elbow upon the altar and wept for his fallen friends, for Angels could not rise into an afterlife but only become part of the Earth to be born again eons later (as trees, microorganisms, a bear or a human) with all memories gone. Queen Julia flew to him and whispered soothingly into his ear, her arms around him, with tears streaming unchecked down her marble features.

Finally, both of them stood and King Brian unsheathed his mighty blade, and let loose from its metal a bolt of lightning that was cast asunder from Heaven and cleaved the mouth of a great volcano wide open, setting off an eruption that shook all three realms. The Demon King awoke from slumber and knew that the war had begun, as he had wanted. The Titans were brought back to the present as the stage returned to the throne room and Diana's voice was singing extraordinarily; she asked her parents in song for the chance to fight alongside her people, but her parents bade her to remain at Prospera, where she would be safe. Diana begged them to let her go, saying that she was just as good as the other warriors, but Kind Brian grew terse, and sent her to her room.

The stage followed Diana out of the crystal, sunlit throne room into the castle courtyard, heading to a large round tower where her room was located at the top. The other Angels she passed cleared out of her way, afraid of her fury, and the princess spread her white wings abruptly and flew to highest opening. Once in her room, she sang out loud to herself about the unfairness of it all. She looked at her reflection in a tall mirror, and whipped out a dagger from her right boot. She spun the tip of it on her finger like a trickster, and continued to sing her brooding, sounding like a spoiled child but a mature woman in unison, her braid swinging back and forth as she paced. She voiced in the quick and snappy music that she had every right to fight alongside her brethren, and that for her father risk his life in battle but not she was unjust.

After a few minutes, Diana strode over to her window outlet and gazed down as a large troop of soldiers assembled near the castle entrance, the sound of horns blasting out in the peaceful air. She admired the soldier's organization and skill; often going to the training grounds to watch them spar with each other. Suddenly, the music became enlightening as an idea struck her, and she pulled out from under her bed a small wooden chest. She took out a basic armada uniform, and jumped behind a silkscreen, quickly changing. She picked up her dagger from the windowsill and tossed it in the air, flipping it, and caught it with ease. She twirled it in her hands absent mindedly as she thought over what she was about to do, and the music gave a sudden high pitch as she pierced the tip of her right index finder with the dagger. She stared as a trickle of crimson ran down her finger; then wiped it on a black cloth on her bedside table. She rubbed her dagger clean, and noticed her blood had dripped onto the floor. The music became suspenseful and threatening, stringed instruments tense and vibrating as anxious as crickets before a storm, and the princess knelt to examine the blood. There was too much to be her own; and it was cold.

Startled, she glanced upwards, and there was a Demon sitting calmly on a rafter beam. Blood trickled from his wickedly serrated sword, which was drawn, and she backed up against her nearest wall. His face was grim and he was frowning slightly, the tips of white fangs protruding from his pale lips, eyes the color of the reddest wine, but his pupils were slit like that of a cat's. His ears were pointed like an elf's, and his hair was long and black, strands hanging in his pallid face like cobwebs. Diana opened her mouth to scream, but the Demon jumped down from the rafter beams with great speed and put his hand forcefully over her mouth. She tried to stab him with her dagger, but he parried with his sword and the dagger sailed from her hand onto the floor with a clatter. She struggled and beat at him with her wings, and finally she struck him a quick blow to the head with her right wing and scrambled towards the window.

He recovered quickly, and with great agility darted in her way. Weaponless, Diana yelled for him to unblock her path, or suffer the wrath of her father and his army. The Demon smiled sardonically, his black eyes narrowing into slits, and told her that her father had left with his forces only moments ago, and there would be no turning back once he reached the mortal realm. Diana whipped her head left and right, desperately looking for a way to escape. She told him in a proud and stubborn voice that if he did not leave, she would fight him with her bare hands. The Demon's face turned grim again and he advanced, his sword arm lifted, but he sheathed it to Diana's surprise. The princess dove for her dagger, but the Demon was there before she was halfway in a dark blur and stepped on it with a boot.

She was kneeling, and looked up at him with glaring eyes full of hate, but her expression softened when she really looked at his face for the first time. He was not hideous, but handsome, his eyes were sad, not cruel, his lashes dark and angled like an Egyptians. Diana asked him what he was doing in her room; but all he did was offer her his hand. She hesitated, but found her hand reaching out to his as if it had a mind of its own. The Titans could see everything in great detail, for the actors, if they were even living, were right in front of them. They listened intently as the Demon introduced himself as Astrophel, a member of the army of the Underworld. Diana gave him her name even though she was sure he already knew it. The two began to talk in song, and the music became soft and inviting.

The rest of the Opera became very involved and emotional. Astrophel and Diana instantly fell in love, and the Demon told her that he had made up his mind to assassinate her without consent or orders from his father, running away to do his deed. When she learned that he was the Prince of Demons; she became afraid once again, but learned that his mother was a human and he bore a mortal heart. The Angel knew deep within her own spirit that a Demon born of a mortal was a bleeding one; and she realized this may be why he was so merciful and kind. He admitted that as soon as he had laid eyes on her, he knew that he could not have killed her. The two decided to run away; and they flew out of the tower unnoticed and into the clouds, headed to earth.

They visited the streets of London in disguise, with its impressive churches and castles that they both took interest in, and attended parties in grand palaces with the mortals, unleashing their desires that they had kept back so long: to live a simple life not bound by military rules or fear. Astrophel, from the chaos of his underworld home, found peace with Diana; whose thirst for adventure and freedom was quenched by the cleansing rain of London. Soon both Demons and Angels began to scour England, searching for them, and the couple of young lovers fled to Cambodia. Once there, they were welcomed by the people and stricken with awe at the beauty of the jungles and temples smothered and cracked with the roots of banyan trees and lined with statues of gods. They sailed by boat down the sleek water channels covered in lilies and flowers, by markets where they were dressed in beautiful cloth robes, and dined at a great temple of Angkor Wat with the monks under the stars. Throughout their journey, their love intensified.

Their final trip was to China; where they celebrated the New Year with the people under a display of magnificent fireworks and watched a parade of twisting dragons swerve back and forth while instrumentalists created a wonderful sound in the great crowds surrounded by the Emperor's palace walls. They fled to the mountains that night, only to be cornered by Angel soldiers in the forest of pines. Diana tried to reason with them as they pointed their weapons to Astrophel's breast; but before she could say anything Demons dove from the sky at the Angels, and soon both King's and their armies were lead to the mountains.

Caught in between the forces of roaring soldiers and under the intense glare of their father's, the couple pleaded to stop the war. King Amadeus, Lord of the Demons, was corrupted by his advisor and head mage, Nicodemus, long ago, and his will did not sway and his heart became blacker. He and his army of creatures from the Abyss were so enthralled by the bloodlust of war and death that they only jeered and called Astrophel a weakling. His father spat at him and said he no longer had a son. Diana felt tears weld in her eyes; and she tried to explain to her father, but her words were weak, and fell on deaf ears. Her father dismissed her, and told her that this was the way it had to be. The two flew off as both armies charged at each other, and the mountains shook from the collision, of magical explosions and swords clattering on shields. Many of the foes took to the air, the music riveting and unique, creatures of both races flying over the Titans and causing a few of them to duck from instinct.

Astrophel and Diana were at a loss. They were both intelligent beings, wiser than most humans, but they were caught in an age where learning how to fight and resist pain was more important than common sense. The two separated; Astrophel knowing he was banished and Diana knowing she would be punished severely. A mournful symphony played out as the two flew away form each other; a tune that every Titan would remember for the rest of his or her days. Astrophel hid in the shadowy depths of lonely caves in some forgotten region while Diana returned home to her dimension; and her mother cried and scorned her at the same time. She was locked in her room and put under guard; where she wept on her bed, from losing her lover and closest friend, for fear of her father and her people, and for guilt that she had intensified the war in her own greed and self pity. In the depths of the caves, Astrophel looked at pictograms on the walls and recognized they were memories of a noble tribe, long since passed, battling with demons that had invaded their village. He traced the patterns etched in stone with his finger and sang in a heartsick, sorrowful voice:

_Struggling for so many years_

_My race, my people turned against the world_

_And now the worst has come, I fear_

_For cruel, unmerciful fate doth unfurl_

_The war of souls shall never end_

_I thought I could find the way to salvation_

_The hand of a sad destiny does not bend_

_Alone I'm lost in the Abyss of gyration_

_What hurts more than my aching heart?_

_The thought of you leaving_

_Is splitting my soul apart_

_Passion is blindingly deceiving_

_Here in the darkness where I belong_

_I know you cannot hear my words_

_But perhaps the wind could carry my song_

_Or lift it on the wings of the birds_

_Fly away and leave me behind_

_But please deliver my message clear_

_Before everything that was sane unwinds_

_The story may die; but I must adhere_

_I have to see her one last time_

_Though the eve of the downfall is coming_

_And the midnight toll is about to chime_

_I will remain forthcoming_

The scene carried off in an echo from the cave, through the breeze and into the clouds. It rolled over the darkened hills of Solace and through the cracks of doors at Prospera; and reached the ears of a weeping Diana high up in her lonesome tower. She stood wearily and leaned against the wall, looking up at her ceiling where they had first met and sang back longingly:

_Though he was one that my people hated_

_I did not loathe nor fear him_

_But to look at the chaos we've created_

_I now see our love turns grim_

_He knows I could see through the dark_

_The goodness; the truth that lay within_

_On a panicked flight we did embark_

_But I felt a change begin_

_How could I have been so naïve?_

_The threat lay clear and bold_

_Instead I selfishly chose to believe_

_That together we could grow old_

_That desired life is now a dream_

_A fantasy that could never be_

_Alone I reside in the cell I helped deem_

_Still foolishly I hope you have the key_

_Dark angel, please come back to me_

_I am broken and in disrepair_

_My soul is burning like a dying tree_

_I beg someone to deliver my prayer_

_I cannot live without him_

_My blood pulses for you alone_

_You are the source of my every whim_

_Still I wish I could have known…_

At the end of this, the soldiers outside of Diana's room, who were lost in a swoon listening to her beautiful song of mourning, did not see the small flight of Demons that flew over the wall. They broke into Queen Julia's quarter's and kidnapped her; killing a few sentries in the process, and flew away with great haste. When King Brian returned, battered but victorious after the Demons unexpectedly fled, he became almost hysterical and furious as the guards told him of the break in. He instantly sought to speak with King Amadeus, and one of his priests used a crystal ball to cipher a message. The face of his rival appeared in the glossy surface of the glowing sphere as the Angel king held it in his hands tightly. The King of the Abyss wagered a deal: if King Brian wanted his queen back; he and his race would have to surrender the war and submit to the Demon's control. Should he choose not to comply, Queen Julia would die a slow, painful and miserable death. To prove he was serious, King Amadeus showed him a sinister looking torture chamber where Queen Julia was chained to a wall, but a bony, evil Demon in black and red robes (his chief of mages and counselor, the one called Nicodemus) held a dagger to her throat. She was blindfolded and bruised, her wings bound up in a pathetic manner like a stuffed pigeon, and her lip was bleeding, but she was breathing and tilted her chin up away from the dagger scornfully.

King Brian, left with no alternatives, agreed with him and ordered his chief of the Angelic armies, the Archangel Gabriel, to tell the soldiers to finish licking their wounds and ready for an ambush. He would meet alone with King Amadeus at the Stone Hedge in the mortal realm, and as soon as Julia was in his arms, he wanted the rest of his armada to fly down from the clouds and strike. In her room, Diana watched the remainder her country's resilient forces assemble, though they were tired and some wounded, a scavenged group of 2,000 warriors. She did not understand what was going on, and could not find out as her guards barricaded her window. She paced in her room, regaining her energy and wiping the tears from her eyes, feeling like a fool, and balled her hands into fists as she grew angry at her confinement.

Her father emptied the city of every available warrior, and the once beautiful golden light that wreathed the country in splendor was fading, and an unwelcome darkness crept on the borders of Solace. The citizens were hiding in their homes, candles of sacred fire burning brightly in the windows brought to life and burning for their cherished ones. A deathly quiet spread over the castle Prospera; and Diana was stricken with unease.

The Angel army marched off into the great forests, where they would hide and wait for their master's orders to attack. Access to other dimensions was not the same as simply flying into the sky; Angels had the ability to pinpoint specific locations on the earth before they departed into the evanescent ground. Now they watched the scene below as King Brian met with King Amadeus, who's two most trusted Demon officers stood by him in their dark armor and torn capes, holding Queen Julia but a few yards away. The King of the Angels took off his crown and threw it at the Demon Lord's feet; and the sorcerer Nicodemus, with a snarl of approval from his King, shoved Julia and she stumbled towards her husband. King Brian tore the blindfold off and ripped her bindings with his bare hands, then embraced her and whispered in her ear that everything would turn out all right. She sputtered weakly and tried to tell him something; but fainted. The music went from quiet to a throbbing dread; and from above the Angels dived in a burst of sound, golden blurs raining from the sky like shards of a comet, and the Demon King snarled and drew his sword. Both Kings fought in the great circle surrounded by giant stones piled awkwardly against each other; and the other Demon that had been by Amadeus' side, Lord Xenos, commander of Hell's army, blew a shrill whistle and from the surrounding woods a force of Demons emerged and charged the Angels head on.

It was a heart throbbing, pulse quickening and harrowing massacre as both Kings clashed swords and beat wings, sending sparks hissing as rain began to fall, sometimes they took to the air and dived at each other like dueling dragonflies, all the time surrounded by thousands of aerial and grounded soldiers fighting brutally. Bodies of both races fell from the sky, and blood pooled in shining puddles with the rain. Above, lightning crackled and thunder boomed, but the sound of the battle was greater.

In the end, all save a handful of warriors remained on each side, and in a moment of speed and confusion both Kings lunged, and pierced each other through the heart as they slid up to their knees in mud and guts. The Demon Lord was stunned, and with a final act of strength King Brian wrenched his blade from his foe's body, lifted his sword with Amadeus' weapon still inside him, and severed the Demon Monarch's head with a final slash and they both collapsed, never to rise again. Now the armies of both sides stood dumbfounded in the rain and wreckage, with Nicodemus the only authority remaining. He and his troops retreated into the woods, and because the Angels are a merciful people, the Divine soldiers turned and instead buried the body of their King, for he would soon turn to ashes. They marked the largest stone in the circle with an inscription, where a priest blessed the sight to keep unwanted trespasser's away, and they flew home. Out of the shadows from the opposite direction of the woods came Astrophel. He walked among the carnage with astonishment; and amongst the grime and gore he saw a shimmer of gold. He picked up the object and beheld that it was King Brian's crown, and he kissed it with honor and spoke in low words an apology, and that he should have known that to unite both races through a thing so fragile as blind love would be catastrophic. He approached the burial sight gingerly, expecting to be repelled by the shield a priest had put up, but Astrophel found that he could enter. The Prince of Demons placed the mighty crown upon the head of the grave and stepped out of the stone hedge. He then found the body of his father (now laying with the rest of his slaughtered hoard) and removed his crown of black onyx thorns. He threw it to the ground; stomped on it with his boot and departed towards the sky.

Back in Solace, Queen Julia was being tended to on a cot in a temple; for all of the rooms in the hospitals were filled with the injured and dying soldiers. It was night, the darkness was creeping closer, and the Angels soon grew fearful. Out of the darkness flew Nicodemus and a small troop of Demons, and under the cover of his fell magic, he took Julia from her resting place and held his dagger to her throat as the priestesses came in. There was scarcely a soldier left to even guard the Queen. Nicodemus stood before a portal to the mortal world, a circular gate in the shape of two dragon's biting each other's tail. He yelled that the war was over, and they were all doomed, but as a last act of homage to his King and revenge towards the Angels, he would kill the Queen.

While the Demon forces snuck into Solace and eventually Castle Prospera, Astrophel had managed to use his own powers to slip into Diana's room. Reunited, they flew out of the tower only to find Diana's mother being held by knifepoint in front of the temple gateway. Astrophel showed himself to his Demon brethren that accompanied Nicodemus and to the Demon priest himself, and begged them to step away from Julia. He told them enough blood had been spilled and enough lives were lost, and that there was still a chance to break away and live life in the Underworld as in ancient times. The Demons of Nicodemus' troop were exhausted beyond all measures and weathered, and many of them were good friends with Astrophel and regretted his banishment. They stepped away from the Demon priest and asked him to follow them; but the sorcerer snarled and called them traitors. Diana realized he was going to kill; and she flew towards her mother soon followed by Astrophel, but Nicodemus struck first and slit the throat of Julia. She slumped lifeless to the floor; and her daughter's passing overhead was the last thing she ever saw. Diana knocked Nicodemus off his feet in her rage and into the circular gateway; where they were transported into the mortal realm.

The scene was astounding. The Angel princess, her brilliant white wings askew and limp, falling in a dark sky, with the priest's neck clenched between her iron hands was all the Titans could see. For a long time they just fell, struggling, as the ground rose to meet them and the vision spiraled round and round. Her hair was torn out of its braid and flew wildly behind her back, and the Demon's leathery wings were flapping madly trying to overturn himself. At last, her grip loosened as fear overtook her and Nicodemus chanted a guttural spell, and repelled her off of him with a fiery blast from his eyes. She screamed and halted in the air, heaved her wings open and flapped them, banking to the side as another fireball sizzled past her. She knew not where she was; she knew only her sadness, her anger, and the black sky she was trying to hover in. Nicodemus turned over and glided over a rocky countryside; where he desperately searched for a place to hide. Diana flew after him, flapping her wings until she felt they would tear from her back, but she caught up with him and tackled him to the ground, straight into the heart of a graveyard.

Astrophel plummeted out of the skies with a flash of purple light, and spread his wings to sail as hastily as he could where he sensed Diana was. He did not have to rely on instinct as a golden streak of electricity erupted from the ground in the distance. When he arrived at the clearing, he saw two shadowy silhouettes quarreling on a hilltop where many tombstones were planted. Every so often Nicodemus would shout and the air would light up with red fire, and he could see Diana's frightened but brave face glaring with determination. He rushed towards them, but in his horror he saw that Nicodemus was planning to self-destruct, his arms crossed over his breast and his wings spread wide, chanting very rapidly. Diana stood, confused, and Astrophel screamed for her to move, but he knew it would be too late. The Demon Prince summoned a bolt of lightning and it crashed from the Heavens, straight into Nicodemus, who turned to ashes on impact.

Astrophel's relief turned to unbearable shock and pain in an instant as he saw that Diana, too, had been struck by the lightning bolt, and upon a block of weed-eaten gravel she posed, with her face glancing up at the sky in bewilderment. Her wings were slightly spread, and she appeared to be about to step down from the block, but she stood still and lifeless. Even her hair looked as if it had been caught in a breeze, for it was billowing and coiling behind her shoulders. Astrpohel nearly slammed into her, and cried in agony as he stroked her sightless eyes, cold and dead. She had been turned to stone by the magic of his spell to try and save her from another.

The music ceased, and he was left alone in the silence, but sang one last song in the melody of the message he had sent to Diana in the wind when they were separated earlier. He kneeled against her grave and clung to it as he uttered his final words to Diana; and the vision moved away from him and his voice became more and more distant, until all that could be seen was a figure sprawled across the feet of the statue of a beautiful angel; left alone in the dark among the dead.

It was then that the lights faded; and the Opera came to a close.

_(Author's Notes: Ew, that Opera really sucked. Sorry guys, I was in a hurry to get it done, so you can bet a better performance when I got back to edit it along with the other chapters. I hope you enjoyed it, still, I tried to make it as dramatic as I could. Now back to the story!)_


	8. Note from the Author: Story Under Const...

_Author's Notes: To anyone who is reading this; I am very sorry to announce that my story will be going into recreation, that is to say, I'm going to stop posting chapters for a **very** long time to fix up a bunch of things. Hopefully it will only take a few weeks, maybe a month or two, but I'm thinking this will turn into quite a project. I will be editing mainly plot/chapter issues and trying to add more diversity to my linguistics; considering I have noticed repeating flaws in my lines where I have used the same word structures; things onlyI could probably notice. With time the story should be back up; so if you are reading this and you want to find out what happens, all I can tell you is thank you for sticking with me this far and maybe if you bookmark my story you'll see it pop up in a while. Again, I'm really sorry about this everyone. I should have waited and figured out a lot more information before posting my story, but I got too impatient to put it up._

_So, with that, as you stick around on fanfiction, if you happen to see my story spring up, then you'll know that I've fixed things. It might even be under a new title; I've been racking my brains for a while now (sweatdrops) and I think I've actually come up with something far more interesting than what I had before._

_See you later (and, once again, so sorry! This was my first fanfic, and it seems to have mutated into a real monster...urgh.)_

_Rin (Hybrid Illusions)_


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